Symphony of the Brightest Star: Chibi
by Frozen In Flight
Summary: Companion to Symphony of the Brightest Star. How did Flynn Scifo, Knight's Son, and Yuri Lowell, Orphan of Lower Quarter, become friends? Hints and Explainations for SotBS. Co-Writ with Blaze0010 and Lethargic Insomniac. Goes into Great War happenings.
1. Flynn and Yuri

I watched First Strike several times, which gave us... tiny amounts of information and glorious music.

and then I went through Photobucket looking for Vesperia images.

And i found a cute one of little Flynn shaking a little Yuri, Yuri looking beaten up and Flynn rather clean.

And I decided... I needed to fic. and I showed it to Blaze0010, and he agreed. So, now we have this..

This is a companion, flashback, series to Symphony of the Brightest Star. Hense why the name is similar. Expect some things to be from First Strike, and some one from Symphony.

And expect much randomness.

I don't own Vesperia, Vesperia First Strike, nor Symphonia. This is the only time i shall tell you so, for I am a lazy college student.

* * *

Zaiphas Lower Quarter was never completely clean, but the steady rain definitely helped it look clean. But the pink water stain from a box in the edge of an alley wasn't completely normal either. The stain gets ever redder as one approaches the box. It seemed like it was...blood. A boy stops, blinking. He slowly edges towards the box, flipping it over. A dark haired boy grunts as he's pitched on his side, and blinks open grey-eyes to stare blearily up. The rain washed that pink water away from him, and there were visible cuts and bruises through his rough, torn and well worn clothes. The blond blinks, shocked.

"H-Hey!" He grabs the dark-haired boy's shoulders. "A-Are you okay?"

The other boy grunts a little, and weakly shoves away Flynn's hand. "You.. come ta pick on me too?" He mumbles. "Just.. wanna place ta sleep..."

"...I don't want to pick on you." Flynn says, grabbing the boy's arm. "And you're coming with me."

"Ow! Hey! Ow!" The boy yelps, struggling to sit up so Flynn wasn't pulling on his arm so much. "Hey! What gives!" He's more awake now.

"C'mooooon. You're hurt. My mother has a healing Blastia." The dark purple-y haired boy mumbles something, trying to gingerly tug his arm back. "I'm not leaving you." He looks serious.

"I can't pay for it." the injured boy mutters, tugging again. "Lemme go."

"Who said anything about paying?"

"Isn't that what you need for anything?" He continues to tug a little his own arm back. "Money's what you gotta give to get anything, isn't it?"

"...You're still coming with." Flynn says.

"Ow." The boy says pointedly, staring at his arm.

Flynn stops. "Y-Your arm..."

"Hurts." the boy grumbles. It's also sort of caked dirty, and bruised brightly under that. "Lemme go." It also looked like he might have a bit more of bruising as a problem.

"Your arm. Its broken! You need healing. Nooooow!"

"Then let it go and grab the other one so it stops hurting!" the boy complains.

"Fine." Flynn does just that. And the other boy grumbles things that Flynn's mother would use soap in his mouth if she heard, and gets painfully to his feet. He only hisses, though, and stares belligerently at Flynn once he's on his feet. Flynn gets behind the boy, shoving him. "You have a foul mouth..."

"Yeah, so?" the boy mumbles, hissing a little as Flynn shoved him, and giving tiny hisses as he walked.

They soon reach a house, Flynn directing the boy inside. "Moooom! Someone's hurt!" The boy stands there, dripping, as a honey-brunette woman calls back.

"Someone? Flynn, you shouldn't just-" She rounds the corner and catches sight of the other boy. "Oh! You're soaking wet! Flynn, get a towel!" She pauses, eyeing the boy, who shifted uncomfortably. "On second thought, get a towel to dry up after him. He's taking a bath first." The boy's eye's widen to huge.

"Mom! We need your Blastia. I think his arm's broken..."

"I'll take care of that." Flynn's mom says. "But for other things, he'll need to be clean, and a bath's the best way to do that." She reaches out and lightly touches said broken arm. The bother boy tries not to twitch too much when lights flit about him and his arm twitches.

"Rain's a good'nuff bath." the boy mutters sullenly.

Flynn folds his arms. "Nuh-huh. Rain's more dirty."

"Better than water from the sewer." the boy retorts.

"Why are you using that?" Flynn's mother checks for other broken bones by lightly patting him and listening for hisses. "The fountain's for water." The boy looks sullen.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Flynn asks. And his expression closes off even further in a little grey-eyed glare at Flynn. Flynn's mother pretends not to notice as she heals him again.

"Oh..." Flynn looks a bit embarrassed. "Uh... I'm Flynn...?" He hesitantly offers his hand.

The boy's expression remains sour. "Don't ask me." The boy's tone was irritable and prickly. Flynn blinks and then his own expression sours.

"If you want more than broth and bread after your bath, you better be polite." Flynn's mom pokes the boy in the side. His expression brightens then flickers and returns to an attempt at indifference. his eyes had brightened though.

"... Yuri... Lowell." he mumbles. A knight pauses, a hand moving to open the gate. He's staring at the trio in the garden, blinking in puzzlement.

"DAD!" Flynn forgot the grumpy Yuri and ran over to the knight. Yuri turned about, blinking, and then he goes a little paler as his grey eyes go wider.

The knight gets distracted slightly. "Hey, Flynn." He then looks up at Yuri. "And why is there a thief in our garden?" Yuri's eyes are wide and he looks like he's going to bolt, but stays put because he can't see an escape route.

"A thief?" Flynn's mother blinks.

"Yeah. He doesn't steal much. Just bread and gels." He sighs. "And I'm off duty now, so I don't really care."

"...not so mean ova old man now." Yuri mumbles, watching the knight still.

"Flynn brought him home." Flynn's mother sighs. "He had three cracked ribs, one broken one, and his arm was broken too." Yuri pretends they aren't talking about him. Flynn is still hugging his dad's leg. The knight just walks in as though this is normal.

"Wow...What happened?" He says, directing the question to Yuri.

Yuri blinks a little, looking confused. "Someone got mad I was using his front porch to sleep. And even madder when I bit him for kicking me. So he got friends when I moved."

The man shakes his head. "That's ridiculous..."

"I mighta kicked him in the balls too." Yuri mutters.

Flynn's mother clips him across the back of the head. "Less of that talk, young man. Or I'll wash your mouth out as well as your body."

Yuri holds his head. "Ow." Flynn watches all of this from his vantage point on his dad's boot. He blinks.

"Well, come on then." Flynn's mother has a good enough grip on Yuri's arm to pull him into the house. Yuri grumbles a little and hisses once or twice, but he follows soggily. Flynn's dad takes off his boots on the doorstep.

The one with Flynn on it caves under his weight, the boy face-planting with a muffled "Ow." Yuri manages to give a tiny crooked smile that was a baby sarcastic smirk.

"Are you smirking?"

"No." Yuri says, dragging it out. "I was not." Flynn's mom had left him there, and Yuri was watching the Knight a little tiny bit warily yet.

"Were too!" Flynn protests

"Was not." Yuri fakes indignation.

"You were too!" Flynn persists.

"Not." Yuri retorts.

Flynn's dad lets this go on for a few minutes before standing, walking over and clonking both of them across the head. "Stop it."

"Ow." Yuri mutters. He peeks out from under a hand at the knight, then over at Flynn. "I got hit because of you." He accuses.

"You were the one denying it." Flynn retorts.

"Enough!" Flynn's dad says in a final tone. "Noelle...Are you ready yet?"

"Nearly, Finas, just make sure he doesn't mess up the rugs." Yuri watches Finas for a moment, then sticks his tongue out at Flynn when his dad wasn't looking. Flynn does the same, folding his arms and turning away.

"Don't need a bath." Yuri mutters, scowling.

"Ready!" Noelle calls from the other room.

Finas picks Yuri up by the collar. "Yes. You do." Yuri yelps and flails, before shoving his hands to keep his collar from being tight under his chin.

"Lemme go! I'm clean 'nough!"

"Are not." Finas says, starting to walk.

"Am too!" Yuri protests, wriggling.

"Are no...I'm not doing this!" Finas growls.

"Am too!" Yuri wriggles, and then throws his arms up and drops out of his shirt. And he does need the bath, or a ton of cleaning before cuts are healed. he sticks his tongue out and tries to dart barefoot away. Flynn suddenly pounces the boy.

Finas then takes this opportunity to pick Yuri up by his left leg, holding the skin. "You're having a bath, Mr. Lowell."

Yuri flails, but then stops. "... dizzy." he mutters. "... head rush..."

Finas quickly walks into th bathroom and dumps Yuri into the warm, soapy water. "Done."Yuri splutters and yelps and tries to get back out.

"Stings!" he gasps out. "Yer tryin' ta kill me!" It's at this point Noelle takes over, starting to finish undressing Yuri. "Crazy woman! Lemme go!" Yuri flails and tries to get away. "Stings! Yer tryin' ta drown me!" Noelle seems to be getting more and more annoyed at the flailing boy. "Murder!" Yuri wails, still trying to escape. "Muuuurrrdeeeerr! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

The Blastia on Noelle's wrist glows. "Bind!" Yuri cuts off mid word and in a facial position, and he sinks under the remaining bubbles. Noelle grabs him, bringing him up, starting to scrub the boy clean. Flynn and Finas have been watching, sweat-dropping.

"He likes to make a fuss, huh, dad?"

"You don't know the half of it, son..." Yuri manages to convey his indignation through his eyes alone. Once the boy is clean, Noelle removes the spell. Yuri gags and spits the remains of soapyness from his mouth, before scrambling out.

Finas dumps some clothes beside the boy. "Dry up. Here's some of Flynn's spare clothes." Noelle hands him a towel, and stares at him as if to say "if you don't dry right, I'm going to dry you." Yuri reads this correctly and does a fair job drying, although he completely ignores his hair. And Noelle promptly grabs the towel, drying the hair off. Yuri poofs out. Yuri grumbles, his roughly shoulder length hair sticking out horribly.

"Not... cool.." he mutters, trying to push it down. Flynn bursts out laughing. Even Finas smirks slightly before turning and taking his son with him. Yuri manages to keep his definitely dark purple hair from being an afro, but it still sticks out quite a bit. He grumbles, then gives Noelle a look. "Am I to your standards, Ma'am." it's sarcastic.

Noelle starts roughly brushing his hair. "I wouldn't put up with this if Flynn didn't like you.!"

Yuri wails and tries to fend her off again. "Crazy woman with a brush! Help!"

"Done." Yuri's hair is back to normal, if clean and distinguishable in color beyond 'dark'. "Get dressed. I'll start with dinner." Her Blastia glows, and the remainder of Yuri's wounds heal up. Yuri mutters that he half expects Noelle to dress him for him, after all she's already done, but does quickly dress himself. Flynn and Finas are sitting at the table. Flynn is reading something, but looks up when Yuri enters, smiling. Finas is tamping down tobacco in his pipe. He brings his Blastia up, causing it to glow and light the pipe. Yuri stares blankly at Flynn since he looked up when he came in. He's shuffling a little awkwardly.

Flynn blinks. "Hi."

"..." Yuri stares at him. "... Hi." Noelle bustles about the kitchen.

* * *

They're... around 6-7. yeah.


	2. Manners

I'm spamming you all *cackles*

we've got a bunch done.

* * *

Noelle comes to the table with plates, bowls and forks, then the food itself. Yuri watches quietly as a bowl of salad, some rolls, and then a meat stew were placed out. She pointed the ladle at Yuri.

"I'll give you food, but you don't get to start eating until everyone has some, understand? It's polite." Yuri nods, looking at the end of the ladle, then the food. It's obvious he's restraining the drool.

Finas seems to be watching Yuri out of the corner of his eye. "Remember Nylen Fedrock, Noelle?"

"Mmhm." She puts salad on Yuri's plate first. "He has the combat-dogs, doesn't he? Lambert?" Yuri watches the greens like he's not sure what they are, or if they'd move on him.

"Yeah. He's stationed in Halure, but he got one of the promotions to captain, so he has to be back in Zaphias." Yuri picks up a scrap of lettuce and pops it into his mouth, since he figured that the adults were busier talking. His expression is unreadable. And Finas clonks Yuri. The man must have the eyes of a hawk. "You were told to wait, lad."

Yuri sticks his tongue out, which had the still whole piece of lettuce on it, carefully picks it off, and puts it back on his plate. Then he holds his head with a muttered "Ow." Flynn watches him wide eyed. Noelle and Finas seem unperturbed. As though they were expecting all of this.

"He wants to meet all of us again, before he's posted to Ceazontonia." Yuri watches Finas sulkily, and this time, he only moves a tomato closer to him on his plate. With his fingers, of course.

"Do you know when he'll be in Zaiphas?" Noelle asks.

"A few weeks from now." The knight sets his pipe to one side. "And I think we need to teach Mr. Lowell some table manners."

"..." Yuri stares at him blankly, before poking the tomato. "... What is it?"

"It's a tomato, Yuri." Flynn states, smiling. "They're delicious!"

"Okay..." Before Yuri can pick it up with his fingers again, Noelle whacks the back of his hand.

"Use a fork." Yuri stares at her. "... The one with the points." Noelle realizes that Yuri's probably been on the street and stealing far more than he'd been cared for. Yuri eyed the silverware, and picks the right one. Finas demonstrates the correct way to use it, Flynn watching curiously. Yuri studies Finas using the fork, then mimics. Two attempts to stab the tomato to death failed with his right hand, so he swapped to his left. Then it worked. There was a flicker of fierce 'I got it!' expression before he stared at the tomato on the end of his fork, and ate it. He did notice that he needed to keep his mouth shut while he chewed, but he started stabbing more bits of salad while he was. Finas and Noelle share "all is not lost" looks before continuing.

"Has Captain Schwann put forward anyone for your brigade yet?"

"No..." Yuri watches Flynn's salad after eating his. After a moment, his fork snakes out and stabs in Flynn's, quickly retreating to his mouth before Flynn can do more than squawk.

And Finas bops Yuri again. "You've had yours."

"It's good." Yuri mutters. Flynn was guarding his salad with an arm now, but eating quicker.

"You have stew and a roll, as well. Finish that, and you can have more salad." Noelle says sternly, but has a bit of that 'a kid who likes greens!' thrill to her expression. Finas has an expression of "I hate salad." As does Flynn, but they both eat it. So Yuri mumbles and pulls the bowl of stew closer to him. He prods it with his fork, and then begins to stab again.

And Noelle proffers a spoon. "I'm sure you'll get it, honey." She says to Finas, reaching over to kiss him on the cheek. Yuri takes it, eyes it, then catches the kiss.

"Get a room!" he crows, before shoving the spoon of potato and broth into his mouth.

"We have several. And if you want to stay in any, then shaddup." Finas growls. Yuri blinks, then blinks his eyes wider. There was some strange emotion flicking about in them. Mostly surprise.

"Yessir." he mumbles, and takes another bite of stew. Flynn blinks in surprise. As does Finas, frowning slightly. Yuri does a very good job of shutting up for the rest of the meal. Puppy-dog eyes and plate holding were involved with his desire to get more salad, rather than words. And Noelle gives Yuri more. So Yuri happily, but quietly, crunches through the salad. Flynn looks puzzled.

"Not like you to follow commands, Yuri." Finas comments. Yuri stares at him, and pops more salad into his mouth. "You can speak now."

".. Oh." Yuri mumbles, and crunches through more salad. "Bed's are nice." he mutters, as if it explained it all, and crunched some more.

"Mom... Why do they call them 'greens' when tomatoes are red?" Flynn asks.

Noelle stares at Flynn. "Because they're the special ones, Flynn. They took all the red from the other ones, so that the rest of them aren't brown."

"Do turn brown, tho'." Yuri mutters, happily crunching. "Don't taste good then though.."

"The lad has a point." Finas comments.

Noelle gives Finas a Look, then turns to Yuri. "They turn brown when they go bad. Don't eat brown greens again, it's bad for you."

"... Huh." Yuri blinks, then eyes the salad. Not spotting any brown, which he poked it about for, he resumed eating it. Finas grins sheepishly at the Look, continuing to eat in silence. Yuri seems most interested in the greens, but after a few more bites, he blinks, and looks rather confused at his stomach.

Flynn does the same. "What's wrong, Yuri?" Yuri pokes his side a little, still looking confused.

"... not hungry." he mutters, sounding a little... awed. Finas and Noelle exchange glances, looking worried with a tinge of guilt. Yuri pokes himself once more, then eyes the remains of what was likely his fifth set of salad. He stares at the greens, then picks up his fork with a determined expression.

And Noelle pulls the plate away. "You don't need to eat it just because it's there." Yuri's expression says 'Yes I do', but he frowns a little, as if he's actually thinking about whether this was going to take away his bed for the night. "It'll keep until the morning." Noelle says, smiling. Yuri's expression brightens and he puts the fork back down. Flynn looks like he wonders why anyone would want to finish more salad than they had too. "I'm glad you like salad, Yuri." Noelle says. "Unlike some of the men around here." Finas chokes lightly on his drink.

Yuri blinks at her. "s'not crusty, or fuzzy. or squishy or slimey. It's a _good_ kind'a crunchy." He sort of wiggles back into the chair.

"Is there a good squishy? Because I like gels. And they're squishy." Flynn asks.

Yuri thinks on that. "... Don't really like gels 'ny more."

"Right. Well. Time for bed." Noelle says. "Finas, would you make sure Yuri settles in?"

"Sure." And like that Yuri's out of the chair and watching Finas. "C'mon you two. We have a spare bed in Flynn's room." The knight leads the way. Yuri almost seems to be happily sing-songing about 'clean, bed, blankets, dry' and combinations of that sort under his breath as he follows Finas. Flynn's sort of just watching Yuri as he follows. Finas makes up the spare bed as Flynn gets ready for bed, handing a spare set of nightclothes to Yuri. Yuri stares at them for a moment, then sets to changing right then and there. Flynn blinks. Finas finishes the bed. Flynn climbs into his own. Yuri scampers over and wriggles himself a nest out of the blanket, watching Finas as if the knight might suddenly change his mind. Finas, instead, sits by Flynn's bed. Seems the boy can't sleep without someone there yet. Yuri stares, but snags the pillow and plays with it a little. He seems to by trying to figure out how to incorporate it into his blanket-nest, which leads to taking the nest apart and remaking it several times before he settles with being half on it. The fact he leaves a bit of his head poking out leaves him looking like some sort of turtle. Finas merely watches this. An amused smile on his face. With a little bit of blanket flailing, Yuri's in a comfortable nest, full, and warm, and nodding off already. Finas chuckles, shaking his head. Flynn is already asleep.

* * *

so... Random request.

I don't beleive their horses are s'posed to be called 'horses'

What should they be called? No, Not Horse-wriggles.

Just curiosity.


	3. Knights

I actually have a lot of this done...

but I realized that we moved away from chibi-Yuri and Flynn and more into what the War was...

Might be because me and Leon are violent-minded. Who knows :D

* * *

Over the course of the next week, Finas noted that on his way to and from headquarters, the alley next to his house acquired sturdy boxes, and one that had something suspiciously like a chimney. He usually heard Yuri's screams of murder when he returned home as Noelle drown-_bathed_ the street-child, and some nights Yuri wasn't there at all. Flynn was suspiciously quiet over the activities of his new friend, even when Finas and Noelle asked directly.

And so Yuri came back with the smug cat look as he dragged a beaten ratwiggle by the tail and leaves it on their doorstep. Finas comes home at that point, having being held back a bit at headquarters. He stops, looking from Yuri to the Ratwiggle and back again. "Why is there a dead ratwiggle on my doorstep?"

"I killed it." Yuri says proudly. "Wanted to show you."

"Ah..." Finas looks a bit puzzled. "Okay. Good job." He tousles Yuri's hair. Yuri looks confused, then a little pink faced.

"I'll go put it in a gutter now." Yuri grabs its tail again and moves to do so.

"O-Okay." Finas still sounds a little bit weirded out. And so Yuri wanders out of the garden with the Ratwiggle in tow. "Oookay, then..." Finas mumbles, walking into the house, sighing.

Flynn attaches himself to Finas' leg. "Dad!"

"Hey, Flynn." Finas says in welcome to his son's usual greeting, tousling the blonds' hair even more.

Flynn blinks after a minute of clinging. "Where's Yuri? He said he'd be back by now."

"He, uh, went to get rid of something. I'm sure he'll be back in a few minutes."

"Oh." Flynn blinks. And indeed, Yuri returned with a little pleased look on his face.

"...Where'd you get rid of it?" Finas asks, curious.

"In front of the house of a guy who kicked me a couple weeks back." Yuri says, watching Finas like he's not sure he should be answering this. "It looks like its watching."

"...Watching what?"

Yuri blinks. "His upstairs window."

"..." Finas sighs, looking away. "Shouldn't really do that..." He takes his boots off. Yuri watches as Flynn falls over due to boot clinging again.

"Could'a put it _in_ his house..." Yuri mumbles. Noelle comes around the corner, spots them, and drags Yuri off to be cleaned. Finas and Flynn flinch in unison at Yuri's scrambled protests.

And again at Noelle's "Bind!". Finas sighs, sitting on a chair, lighting his pipe with his Blastia. There's the sound of a door opening.

"FINAS!" A man bellows cheerfully.

Finas yelps, nearly dropping his pipe. "Gah! Nylen! Why do you never knock?"

"It's more fun this way!" A large man with short silvering hair manages to loudly take his shoes off, and head into the room where Finas and Flynn are.

Finas mock-sighs. "Is that any way to behave in someone else's home?"

Fedrock ignores this. "Flynn!" Flynn blinks, grins, and jumps the knight.

Finas chuckles. "Glad to see he remembers you, Fedrock." He comments.

"That's Captain Fedrock to you!" Fedrock grins, as he also ruffles Flynn's hair. Noelle comes out, drying her hands with a towel. "Nice to see you, Nylen. I heard you enter."

"I think half the Lower Quarter heard Captain Fedrock enter." Finas comments, the "captain" in heavy sarcasm, smirking. As soon as Flynn detaches, the knights hug each other in the way that men do. "I've missed you, old man."

"Less of the old, Finas... Ya making a bad impression."

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Noelle finishes drying her hands, and puts the towel up. Flynn blinks, looking at Fedrock then Finas, then the hall down to the bathroom and back to Fedrock.

"I think we'd better go out. What with the current situation..." Finas says, smoothly.

"What sort of situation?" Fedrock asks.

"Uhh..." Finas looks to Flynn. "We have a bit of a pest problem." Flynn makes an awkward face, part amusement, and part annoyance. It seems to convince Fedrock of the fact that the pest problem wasn't one he'd want to put up with. "Well, I bet you know what's good better than I do!" Fedrock stands after detatching Flynn.

"All right, then. Let's go." Finas sets to pulling his boots back on, looking to Noelle. "We'll likely be late. I'll try not to disturb anyone coming back."

Noelle gives him a look. "Uh-huh... Come on Flynn, you can help me cook." Flynn blinks, and grins brightly. Finas flinches slightly, grinning sheepishly before turning and pushing Fedrock out the door. Yuri, upon being released from the bind, was wrinkly and now dry and floof-haired. He watched the cooking, occasionally tempting the fate of Noelle's quick spoon to his hand to taste things.

"... Where's your dad?"

"He went off with a knight friend." Flynn says, randomly adding cheese. Yuri tempts the spoon again and then manages not to recoil.

"... Huh." Yuri mutters, inching away from the kitchen and Flynn.

Flynn blinks, following. "Where're you going?"

"Uh." Yuri blinks. "I ... wanna look about town for a bit." He inches away even more. Noelle is trying to salvage the food while Flynn's distracted.

Flynn tags up with Yuri. "Can I come?"

"... If you can keep quiet." Yuri says, sneaking out of the house. Fortunatly, Flynn had done enough damage that Noelle was occupied.

"Quiet? Why?" Flynn asks, following.

"Cause if you're noisey, jackasses notice you, and then it hurts." Yuri retorts, heading out of the gate and into the street, looking each way. "And cause we're gunna stalk your dad." Luckily, Fedrock and Finas seem to be making slow progress down the street and, due to how loud Fedrock is, they're easy to follow.

"But...But Dad's gonna get mad if he finds out!"

"And he won't find out if you're quiet." Yuri explains. "He won't notice 'cause the big guy is loud."

"Mr. Fedrock is very loud..." Flynn agrees and keeps up with Yuri.

"Very." Yuri agrees in a mutter, as the two knights meander and finally stop at a bar. There's a little good natured arguing, but they head in. The arguing stills slightly for a second as the two knights walk in, but Finas is a familiar face in this area, so the conversations continue. Yuri heads over, and finds a window he can reach in the alley. He stacks things rather precariously, but evidently sturdily enough to hold him up as he puts his nose and eyes above the window ledge. Flynn does the same to the next window with limited success. Fedrock chooses a table next to some rough-looking men. Finas looks a little wary, wondering if his friend chose this spot on purpose... If anyone really looked, they could probably see the two little faces in the windows, but no one really looked. The rough looking men are all chatting up with each other about 'jobs'. It sounded like they were dishonest guards. Fedrock growls lowly. Finas sighs. One boasted of managing to cheat a merchant. Yuri was frowning and mumbling, apparently he's sort-of okay at reading lips.

"And you spend the gald on getting drunk. I suppose that's the circle of life." Fedrock injects loudly. Finas face-palms. And the men all freeze, frown, and get angry vein bulges.

One gets up, and sits in front of Fedrock. "Wanna say that again?"

Fedrock repeats it, word for word, slowly and mockingly. "Get it that time?"

The man bristles, leaning forward to look menacing. "Why youuu!" Finas grumbles under his breath, face palmed.

"Oh. You got something...Right..." He winds up a punch, wailing the man in the face. "...There." Finas bangs his head on the table.

This knocks the man onto his back, still on his chair. "Hey!"

More of these rough looking men stand. "You...!"

Fedrock stands, cracking his knuckles. "I should sue. Your friend damaged my hand..." Finas is mumbling something like "How did this hothead get a promotion?" If anyone could see Yuri's expression, it'd be one of awe as Fedrock, and then Finas, managed to beat the rough-looking men. Without damaging any of the surrounding bar. Finas pants slightly.

"Why..." He growls. "Does every bar we go to turn to a brawl?"

"Because it's more fun this way!" Fedrock grins.

"C'mon, Finas! Lighten up!" Fedrock says loudly, slapping his friend on the back. Finas manages not to stumble from that.

"Finas, Finas, Finas, why does that name sound familiar." A brunette young man in a red coat started muttering to himself. "Not for Finale, not for Finish, Finas... Oh!" He stands up and twin sheathes thwack his chair as he searches his pockets. "Finas Scifo?" He asks, approaching the knights.

"Yeah...That's me. Who's asking?" Finas says bluntly, turning to face the brunette.

"Just a 'sec, I've got too much crap in my pockets." The young man flinched, then blinked and grimaced and pulled out a metal folder. "Here ya go. Didn't help out to become a messenger boy, but noooo... You gotta go find Finas to let him know.." He mutters, complaining like. "From the big brass." He shrugs.

Finas takes the folder. "Damn. That's Commandant Alexei's seal..." Finas sighs, opening it. Reading silently, both he and the brunette exclaim, in unison. "Wait, What?"

"What? That... Ass! He said nothing about this!" There's arm flailing from the brunette.

"Uhhh..." Fedrock reaches over and grabs the folder from Finas, reading quickly.

"I'm gonna be a captain..." Finas mumbles, a bit stunned.

The brunette looks almost sulky. "I did not sign up for this! Niflheim, I didn't even sign up!"

"Niflheim?" Fedrock questions.

"Hell, Niflheim, same thing." The brunette waves it off.

"So...You're Lloyd?" Finas says, turning to the brunette, offering his hand. "You know my name already..."

"Lloyd Aurion." Lloyd agrees that he is Lloyd, shaking Finas' hand. "Twin-blade, sometimes caster, and I can use First Aid. But people usually say it stings." the door to the bar opens, and a purple haired blur streaks in.

"That was AWESOME!" Yuri yells, stopping before the knights and Lloyd-the-not-knight.

"Y-Yuri!" Finas says, jaw dropping. "What in th'blazes are you doing here?" Yuri freezes, eyes wide as if he just figured out what he'd done, as Flynn follows, looking a tiny bit teary.

"I toooollld hiiiim!" Flynn complains.

"Yuri?" Lloyd blinks several times. "... Lily?"

Finas grabs both Flynn and Yuri by their arms. "Right. I want an explanation. Now."

"It was Yuri's idea!" Flynn wails.

"You're cool, Mr. Old Knight!" Yuri tells Fedrock.

"And why did you go along with it?" Finas asks Flynn, obviously pissed off/scared of what Noelle is going to do to him.

"'Cause he'd get in trouble." Flynn says. Lloyd hits his fist into his hand and turns to the bar. "And I wanted to stop him from getting in trouble him." Here Flynn scowls at Yuri. "But he didn't liiiissstteeen!"

Finas sighs. "You're both in so much trouble when we get home..."

"So this is the pest problem you were talking about?" Fedrock eyes Yuri. Yuri's expression flat-lines and he delivers a very bland look to Finas.

Finas clears his throat. "Stop looking like that. I had to make up something..."

"And you know what?" Lloyd's returned. "Here." He shoves a mug of something obviously alcoholic at Finas.

"... Are you even legal to buy that?" Fedrock asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm twenty two, damn it!" Lloyd retorts.

Finas blinks at the drink. "No, thanks. I gotta get these two home." Fedrock grunts, grabbing Finas' nose so he can force the knight to drink. Lloyd cheerfully helps him with that. Flynn's looking confused, but Yuri's amused.

"You got promoted, have some fun." Lloyd says.

Finas chokes and splutters. "What about..." He still seems worried about Noelle's wrath.

"Leave it for the two who snuck out to take." Fedrock advises. Flynn's expression turns to severe worry, and Yuri's eyes go wide.

"True...I had no idea." Finas smirks lightly. This punishment seems to be more severe than a beating in the eyes of the two. Especially Flynn. Yuri wriggles, but Finas has learned from the way he had grabbed Yuri by the collar and actually has a grip on the boy's arm, so he can't shuck and run.

"Perfect." Lloyd grins, and shoves another drink on Finas. Finas hands Yuri to Lloyd.

"Hold him. Not by the clothes." He and Fedrock chink glasses in toast to their promotions.

"First warrior, then messenger, and now baby sitter." Lloyd sighs, and does keep a grip on Yuri, despite the boy's continued writhing. "Yep, this'll be fun. C'mere, you, too." They go to a corner and Lloyd entertains them with action packed stories involving a journey to save a world.

* * *

Finas and Fedrock get steadily more drunk, reverting to singing slurring songs about apples, ladies bloomers and one-legged horses. Lloyd watches them, then turns to Flynn.

"Does that happen often?" Flynn, eyes wide, shakes his head no. "Thought so. Singing tends to be that hint when Dads've had enough, huh?" Lloyd gets up. "Guess I've got two more to babysit." He looks at his grip on Yuri and then Yuri himself. "If I let you go, and you bolt, I'll carry you like a sack of potatoes." Yuri blinks, tilts his head, and grimaces. Finas and Fedrock are completely oblivious to Lloyd just at this point.

"Won't bolt." Yuri says.

"Good." Lloyd grins, and lets Yuri go to go prod the knights. "Hello? You're drunk off your asses, time to go home." Flynn and Yuri flank Lloyd a little, eyes wide.

"D'aww, whaddya know 'bout it?" Fedrock retorts, his words heavily slurred to the point of misrecognition. Finas, now stopped singing, seems to be nearly asleep.

"I've seen the signs." Lloyd's grinning, although a slight bit bitterly, as he prods them again.

Finas snores once before snorting and jolting awake, blinking. "Aye...We best be home..."

"So, can you two walk?" Lloyd pokes them about, Yuri and Flynn watching quietly with huge eyes.

Fedrock waves Lloyd away. "'course." He attempts to get to his feet, stumbling, leaning against the wall.

"I'll wait till you fall flat on your faces then." Lloyd pokes at Finas until he too gets to his feet. Finas grumbles, standing, taking a step and doing just that. He has a nice meeting with the floor. And so Lloyd sighs, and reaches down to pull Finas up and more or less half carry the slightly taller man, although his messy hair makes them look more even. Yuri and Flynn's eyes go wide as Lloyd moves Finas about to better support him. "So, How about now, oh great captain?"

"I didn't say I could walk!" Finas complains. Fedrock catches himself before he face plants.

"... Right!" Lloyd grins, shifting his grip, and turns to Fedrock. "So, do I have wait to pick you up too?" he asks the other knight, starting for the exit. Fedrock doesn't answer. He just face-plants too, pushing himself up. "Ah, wonderful. And here was thinking..." His eyes flick to the right and his expression tightens. "Nevermind." He manages to keep Finas on his shoulder while pulling Fedrock onto the other. Yuri and Flynn stare.

"You're strong!" Yuri points at Lloyd. It looked funny, as Lloyd was a skinny young man. Fedrock manages to snag a bottle of wine as they are walked out. When the two knights are back together, more drunken singing ensues.

Lloyd's expression flat-lines as he's basically stuck between the two of them. "Hey, Scifo's son, which way back?"

Flynn blinks. "I'm Flynn!"

"Sorry, Flynn. No one said it, so."

"Next left." Flynn accepts Lloyd's apology. Flynn and Yuri manage to detach from Lloyd, walking ahead, occasionally looking back at the knights with nothing short of hero worship mixed with amusement and occasionally shock at the content of the songs the knights are blurting out. Lloyd follows them, keeping the two knights upright despite the severely annoyed expression to his face.

"All right. Next gutter I see that's full, I am so dumping these two in." Lloyd mutters.

"Why?" Yuri asks.

"Their singing is really out of tune." Lloyd grumbles. Both knights seem to quiet down a bit as they round the corner to Flynn's house. "Damn it." Lloyd mutters. Yuri blinks, and follows Flynn to the gate. But, once there, both boys freeze. The lights were on. Noelle is obviously waiting up. Finas gulps audibly, still mumble-singing with Fedrock.

Lloyd grins. "All right, here we go." He somehow manages to open the gate without letting either of the two knights fall, and then herd them all in. "Don't hit me, please." Lloyd mutters, and knocks using a carefully scuffed boot. "Mrs. Scifo, I have four people for you." Yuri and Flynn gulp. Finas is fumbling the metal folder out of his pocket. Flynn hides behind his dad. Noelle opens the door, and blinks at Lloyd.

"... Who are you?" She does immediately grab Yuri's wrist though, as the purple haired boy decides he might want to make a break for it. Finas smiles lightly, handing the folder to Noelle as means of an explanation to his drunken state. Noelle eyes him first, then the folder. Her eyebrows go up, but it doesn't completely alleviate her anger. "And you decided it was best to get this drunk in front of your son?" She asks, pulling Yuri, then reaching behind Finas to get Flynn, into the house.

"I...I didn't know..." Finas mumbles lamely, obviously bad at lying. Probably why he made such a good knight.

Noelle eyes him again. "Thank you for bringing them home." She says to Lloyd, then tugs Yuri and Flynn into the house. "Congratulations on your promotion. Have fun on the couch tonight."

"Ahh... What about this one?" Lloyd looks hesitant at drawing her attention to him.

Finas blinks. "Ah...Nylen..." Fedrock blinks from his stupor.

"The garden's an option..." Lloyd offers innocently. Noelle looks thoughtful.

"Why not." She mutters. Lloyd oh so ceremoniously drops him. A pained grunt comes from Fedrock. Finas seems torn between helping his friend and the glare from Noelle. Lloyd helps him make the decision by pushing him into the house.

"I'll just be going, Captain." Lloyd grins, and backs up.

"So, who are you?" Noelle stops him.

"I'm one of his brigade now, technically not really, cause I'm not a knight." Lloyd says. "Lloyd Aurion. Bye." He waves and makes his escape.

"Commandant Alexei forced him on me..." Finas mumbles.

"Uh-huh." Noelle says, pulling Flynn and Yuri back into the kitchen. "You two, bed. Here's your dinner." She hands them each an apple, a wedge of cheese, and roll. Flynn looks down a little, but Yuri's still rather fresh off the streets and thrilled that the cheese wasn't two colors.

Finas flops on the sofa. "But I didn't eat!" He whines, showing where Flynn gets it from.

"Sucks to be you." Noelle retorts. Yuri's expression is that he is so memorizing that phrase and will use it. Finas sighs, flopping back onto the sofa, sighing, giving up. The boys eat then troop off to bed, still looking thrilled-like about what they'd seen that night. Noelle gives a disapproving look to Finas.

"It wasn't my fault..." Finas grumbles. "I bet that if Fedrock hadn't started that fight, they'd have got bored..."

"Oh, so you were fighting as well!" Noelle catches onto that, and scowls.

"I-It wasn't me! I was dragged into it. ...Literally..." Finas adds.

"Right." Noelle isn't amused. "If we have to pay any damages, you're eating cold meals for the rest of the month, and staying on the couch."

"We didn't break anything. Amazingly." Finas sighs. "Fedrock's gotten better at that." He muses. Noelle's expression is still flat-lined. Finas sighs. "What's done is done. I'll accept my punishment. It's not like this happens all the time."

"No, it doesn't happen all the time. Only when _he_ shows up." She jerks a thumb out the front door.

Finas sighs. "You're not one to talk. Remember when we were dating and he tried to take you? And you fell. Hook line and sinker."

"If I fell 'hook line and sinker', do you think we'd be married?" Noelle retorts.

"No... But there was a year or so where I was worried I'd lose you..."

"You're an idiot." Noelle pronounces.

"That I am." Finas says, smiling. "But you still married me."

Noelle's response is to drop a blanket on his head. "You can let Nylen in, but he gets the floor." Noelle says, and goes to bed. Finas waits before standing, stumbling over to the door and opening it.

"Fedrock, you drunk bastard..." He growls. Fedrock's just kinda lying where Lloyd dumped him. Finas kicks him. "Oi. Get up." And Fedrock grunts, and rolls over. Finas sighs, grabbing Fedrock's collar, starting to drag the knight in, dumping him in the middle of the floor, retreating to his sofa. Fedrock groans, and more or less falls asleep. Finas does the same, both men still fully armored and dressed.

* * *

As I said, it's tied into symphony. So Lloyd's here *applause* Yaaay.

I like magic, and I like using mages, so I made Lloyd one. He's not a very good mage, but we'll find that out soon enough.


	4. Captain

Morning comes and before the light gets too bright, Flynn and Yuri are staring at Fedrock and Finas. The awe is still strong. Even though both men are sprawled out, snoring. Fedrock is on his back, drooling slightly. There's a knock on the door, and Lloyd lets himself in.

"... You're wanting heroes like that?" Lloyd asks of Flynn.

"What are you doing here?" Flynn asks.

"Your dad's my boss now. I came to say 'good morning'." Lloyd looks evil with that smile.

"MORNING!" Yuri yells, suddenly, darting over and opening the windows to let light in. Bright light. Finas and Fedrock jolt awake, blinking, holding their heads and groaning.

"What th'ell..." Finas mumbles thickly. Flynn blinks, confused.

"Morning, Morning, Morning!" Yuri repeats, still at nearly the top of his lungs, prodding them in their un-armored places. So, mostly knights make sluggish attempts to swat the boy away. In the bedroom, the sound of Noelle laughing can be heard. Finas grumbles. Lloyd's covering his slight laughter with his hand, and after a moment of staring at Yuri like he was insane, Flynn joins in with a bright smile. "MORNING MORNING MORNING!" Fedrock growls to himself, sitting up and holding his head.

Finas puts a cushion over his head. "Will both of you shut it! You'll wake the entire street at this rate." Flynn shuts it, but Lloyd grins.

"MORNING!" He joins in with the next shout, and shoves Finas from the couch. Yuri's half giggling madly more than shouting morning now, having picked up one of Noelle's wooden spoons and started poking Fedrock with it.

Finas glares at Lloyd. "Who said you could join in?" He grumbles. Fedrock grabs the spoon.

"Quit it, street rat." He growls.

"Yuri." Yuri retorts, frowning, as he gets another spoon.

"Well, no one said I couldn't..." Lloyd grins, sitting on the couch. Yuri pokes Fedrock again.

"Whatever." Fedrock eventually stands.

Finas sits up. "You'd better be a good fighter to make up for that attitude..." Lloyd's grin becomes distinctly sharklike in answer. Finas gets to his feet also, groaning. "Man... I blame you for this..." Finas grumbles at Lloyd.

"Me?" Lloyd protests, raising his hands and managing to look thouroughly shocked, although there's a glint to his redish-brown eyes that says he's fully aware of why. "What did _I_ do?" Yuri's giggling and poking Nylen with his second spoon. Nylen pushes Yuri away with his foot.

Finas glares. "You were the one that 'persuaded' me."

"No, I offered a calming, or at least I was hoping it was a calming, method. Captain Fedrock over there is the one who forced it on you." Lloyd grinned. Yuri's grinning.

"What are we talking about now?" Noelle's left the bedroom and is eyeing them. "... and how did you get in?"

Fedrock aims to get Finas' attention away. "Yeah, how did you get in?"

"Your lock wasn't done." Lloyd scratched the back of his head. Noelle turned her gaze to Finas.

"I locked it!" He points to his key on a side table. "I always put the key there after locking, right?" Lloyd tilts his head back and forth as Noelle's gaze went back to him.

"Oh. 'Your lock wasn't hard.'" Lloyd claps his hands together. "That's what I meant to say." Noelle whacks him.

"I could arrest you for breaking and entering." Finas says, not in a happy mood.

"Don't I actually have to break something?" Lloyd asks, tilting his head.

"You can pick locks?" Yuri asks of Lloyd.

"Mmmhm."

"... Teach me!" Flynn looks curious, too.

"Teach them and you'll have the broadside of my blade shoved somewhere." Finas growls, hand on his hilt.

"I wasn't planning on it." Lloyd protests.

Yuri frowns a little, and pulls on Lloyd's sleeve. "Please...?"

"... I don't wanna get impaled." Finas looks at Yuri, expression serious. Yuri stares at Finas, face and eyes completely blank.

"Ah! Right! I was going to complain at Alexei!" Lloyd jumps off. "Not that it'll do anything, so I'll find you later, captain!" And Lloyd left.

"... I think he's missing marbles." Yuri nods.

"Quite a few." Fedrock agrees. "C'mon, Finas. We have to get ready."

"Why?"

"The ceremony, of course!"

"DAD'S A CAPTAIN!" Flynn doesn't quite scream it in glee, but it comes close.

Yuri cares about simpler things. "... Hungry." Flynn pounces Finas as he remembers. Finas acks and falls over. Yuri follows Noelle into the kitchen while she gets started on making breakfast, watching everything she does. Flynn clings to Finas.

Finas chuckles, his expression turning serious. "The ceremony is today?"

"Yup. In three hours. Your new armor should be showing up, soon." There's a knock at the door. Noelle opens it, and there stands a sour looking Lloyd, with a box.

"I'm not a messenger boy." Behind him is a white haired man in red-orange armor.

"Commandant!" Noelle gasps and bobs her head. Yuri's already darted into the hallway toward the bathroom.

Finas and Fedrock quickly snap to attention, saluting. "C-Commandant Alexei, sir." Finas stammers a bit in shock. "It's an honor, sir."

"Congratulations on your promotion." Alexei says, nodding slightly to indicate that they can relax a little. "Your papers got in just in time." Behind him, Lloyd's making irritated faces. Flynn's wide eyed. "Mr. Aurion has your armor."

"Because you forced it on me and made me lead you here." Lloyd grumbles. Alexei gives him a look. The two men relax slightly, exchanging confused glances. The Commandant doesn't normally congratulate each knight individually. Flynn edges up behind his dad to get a closer look at Alexei.

"Here are instructions for your part in the ceremony. I'm sure Captain Fedrock could give you help, but I'd rather you had the official plans." He adds a metal folder to the top of Lloyd's box. Yuri's peeking down the hall at them.

"Have a box." Lloyd offers it to Finas. Finas takes it, setting it on the table. Fedrock looks a bit indignant that Alexei doesn't trust him, but the look soon fades.

"Th-Thank you, sir."

"I will see you in three hours, Captain Scifo." Alexei nods, then turns hard enough his tabard swirls. "Come along, Mr. Aurion."

"I'm not one of your knights to order about!" Lloyd protests, although he does follow.

"I know. That's why I called you MISTER Aurion." Alexei retorts.

The men relax. "Man... Commandant Alexei. Here." Finas sighs.

"You always were the lucky one." Fedrock complains.

Yuri peeks out and stares after the Commandant and sullenly tailing Lloyd. "... I think Flynn's old man needs luck." Yuri nods.

Finas looks down. "What makes you say that...?" He asks, opening the box.

"... Dunno." Yuri blinks. "Just think ya need ta be lucky to be a knight."

"Well, my luck hasn't been that good where you're concerned, Yuri." Finas says, tousling the orphan's hair. Yuri's expression is between indignation at hair tousling and a little bit of 'yay fatherly contact', and a hint of smugness that he is still causing people trouble. "When I'm a captain, I don't want any trouble from you, got it?" Finas says, starting to remove his old armour. "Hey. Flynn. Wanna help me?" Flynn perks, running over. Yuri heads back into the kitchen rather pointedly. Noelle catches a whiff almost burning food and yelps, heading back as well to save it. Flynn helps Finas into his new armour.

Fedrock smiles slightly. "It looks like you were born to wear a captain's uniform, Finas." Yuri watches from edge of the kitchen door, then darts over and puts the tabards on his head, giggling. Flynn's eyes go wide.

Finas blinks, noticing Flynn's look. "What is it?" Yuri giggles again, keeping the cloth on his head. Flynn grins, and joins Yuri. "..." Finas sighs. They keep tugging on the tabard tails and giggling. Noelle giggles a little when she sees them, but puts bowls and food out. Finas stays still. "It's not funny..."

"Yes it is." Noelle retorts. "Now here's oatmeal." This makes Yuri give up playing. Finas sighs, knowing he's still part-way in the doghouse.

"Well. I'll see you at the ceremony, Finas." Nylen says, clapping the new captain on the shoulder. Yuri's expression flickers as he noms the oatmeal, and he looks for things to put in it. Flynn's fine with his oatmeal. Finas is sprinkling copious amounts of sugar in his own. Fedrock has disappeared to get ready. Yuri watches Finas, then steals the sugar after him.

"Not too much." Noelle says, and watches as Yuri puts enough for a test on his oatmeal. He decides this is good, and sets to mixing sugar into his oatmeal. Flynn seems to like his plain. Finas looks warily at Noelle, hoping he won't be blamed for this. Noelle seems to be watching Yuri, because Yuri's looking for something else to put in his oatmeal now. "Try this." Noelle cuts an apple. Yuri adds that, and happily devours the rest of his oatmeal. Finas finishes his own, opening the folder, reading it.

He blinks. "This must be why the Commandant gave me the orders in person..."

"Oh...?" Noelle leans over to look. ".. Oh."

"Looks like I get to fight Nylen..." He frowns. "Captain Llewelyn must have gave me quite the reference."

"... Fight big old man?" Yuri blinks. Flynn blinks as well.

"It's just a posing contest. The two strongest contenders spar together."

"Huh." Noelle blinks. She seems to be having trouble deciding what to say.

"... Don't break anything." Yuri mutters.

"I'm more scared of Nylen breaking something of mine..." Finas grumbles. "I'm more of a magic user and Strike Arte user. Nylen has power..." Yuri's expression says he doesn't get it, but wishes he does.

"You'll see what I mean." Finas says, smiling.

"I get to see?" Yuri asks, eyes wide.

"You are gonna come to the ceremony, right, Yuri?" Flynn asks. "Can he dad? Mom? Please?"

Noelle looks at Finas. "... If we clean him up well enough..."

"...And disguise him a bit..." Yuri's expression is unreadable with his spoon stuck in his mouth.

"Maybe a temp dye." Noelle mutters.

"Or one of Flynn's hats?"

"Or both." Noelle says. Yuri's just staring at them, as if weighing the pros and cons of this.

"What color dyes do we have?"

"Brown, black, bleach." Noelle says. "But his hair's too close to black."

"We could bleach. Claim he's a cousin or my nephew or something..." Finas muses.

"What'll that do?" Yuri asks, frowning.

"Turn your hair blonde." Finas states simply. "We hope..." Yuri looks at Flynn, then Finas, then at his hair. Reaching over, he pulls Flynn's head next to his, ignoring Flynn's yelp, and smushed the blond hair up against his head and looked at his reflection in his spoon.

"..."

"...It's probably the only way until I can wipe you from the record..." Finas says.

"... You can do that?" Yuri's awed, and lets Flynn go. Flynn holds his head and stares at Yuri indignantly.

"Yes...But I do it at risk." He points his spoon at Yuri. "So I expect you to behave yourself." Yuri mimes zipping his mouth shut solemnly. Finas rolls his eyes. "I mean it, lad." Yuri stares at him seriously.

"Well, then." Noelle grabs onto Yuri. "Bathroom. Time to change your haircolor."

Finas sighs slightly. "I hope it goes okay..."

"IT STINKS!" Flynn blinks as Yuri's wail comes from the bathroom. "Are you trying to kill me again!"

Finas flinches as Noelle threatens to bind again. "Never get on the bad side of your mother..." Yuri continues to complain about reeking, until his voice cuts off with a word from Noelle. A while later, and Noelle comes out with a funny little expression.

"Slight problem." She sits down.

"..." Finas looks towards the bathroom, standing and investigating himself. Yuri's still in a bind, and his hair is bound up with hair things... and is an pastel pink shade. "..." Finas is holding back laughing very successfully, turning and leaving. "Slight problem?" He asks Noelle, smirking.

"Purple doesn't pale to blonde very well." Noelle sips coffee. Flynn looks curious.

"Evidentially... Can't you put more on?"

"Not without making his hair fall out. Bleach is hard on hair. He's going to have dry hair anyway from this." Noelle sighs. "That, and I used all we had, and in order to get the stink off him... we need the rest of the time until the ceremony."

"What a pain..." Finas shrugs. "We can claim my cousin married a red-head. That should explain it away."

"He isn't obviously one Yuri Lowell, so it should work." Noelle says. "Flynn, find a nice hat that would go well with..." And she picks up a napkin that'd been stained pink by something or other. "This color." Flynn blinks, then blinks again, but heads to his bedroom to find such a hat. "Would you mind picking clothes? I need to get the smell off him." Finas nods, standing and helping Flynn to dig out. Noelle proceeds to use everything that smells good in the bathroom to try to get the bleach smell off Yuri.

Finas enters. "Can I try? I think I have something."

"Go ahead." Noelle's drying her hands, and Yuri's still Binded. "I've used everything of the soaps." Finas draws his sword, holding it before him.

"Oh, caprice of innocent waters..." The knight begins to glow blue. Noelle puts Yuri in the tub and backs up. Finas points the sword, targeting just up from Yuri's hair. "Champagne!" The fizzing aqua spell starts blasting the boy's hair. The scent is lemon-like.

"Unorthodox, but I think it's going to work." Noelle's smiling. Yuri's managing to glare. Finas manages to keep the spell going for a few minutes longer than intended, with some obvious strain. "That's enough." Noelle pushes him lightly on the shoulder. "You're going to fight Nylen later." Finas lets the aura fade. He slips half an Orange Gel from his pocket, chewing on it. "All right." Noelle towels Yuri down. "Do we have Flynn's clothes?"

Finas brings in a white shirt with black trousers. "This was all that I could find that wouldn't clash horribly."

"Just as well. They'll look slightly formal." Noelle doesn't release the bind until she's dressed and dried him thoroughly. Finas steps back, watching. The knight looks a lot more serious in the Captain's armor than before. He's still chewing at the orange gel. He's still chewing at the orange gel.

"You spelled me!" Yuri yelps.

"It got ridda the smell, didn't it?" Finas says. "Besides, I didn't target you." He looks down at his slightly glowing Blastia. "This new Blastia is great..."

Yuri looked at his hair. "Ah! I'm PINK!"

"But you don't stink."

"This is true. Go with it. If you still want to go to the ceremony, that is..." Finas threatens idly, inspecting his new Blastia.

Yuri stares at him. "..." Flynn comes in with the hat, and shoves on his head.

"There. Perfect." Finas says, taking out his pipe. "If you're not happy with pink hair, you can stay here. Otherwise, you're welcome to join us."

"Not happy, but not gunna complain no more." Yuri mutters. "... pink..." Flynn's doing his best to contain giggles.

Finas lights his pipe. "Good." The knight seems to be doing the adult thing and keeping his face straight, but his eyes are cracking with laughter if one stares deep enough. Yuri's managing to not pout, but it's because his expression's completely blank. Finas looks around. "Right. We have half an hour. Lets get ready to go." Noelle leaves Yuri alone, while the boy finger combs his hair furiously to get it down.

"C'mon, time to dress you up." And so Flynn's dragged away. Finas walks out to check himself in a mirror, making sure everything's present, counting down a mental checklist. Yuri follows and sort of stares at his reflection. Finas blinks, looking back at the boy.

"It'll wear off." He assures. Yuri mutters that he hopes it better, pulling his hair before his eyes. "Don't go emo on me, Yuri." He says, brushing the hair from his eyes, before fixing it with the hat.

".. emo..." Yuri mouths, frowning. Finas sits down, smoking still, waiting for Flynn and Noelle to finish.

He flinches as the door crashes open. "Finas!"

"Nylen! Knock, willya!" Yuri turns and stares at him.

Nylen looks at the boy, blinking. "Who's the kid?"

Finas smirks, winking at Yuri covertly. "This is my nephew. His family live in Aspio. He's staying with us for the weekend."

"Hi." Yuri waves a little.

Fedrock turns, crouching by Yuri. "So. What's ya name, kid?"

"Uh." Yuri blinks. ".. Bob..." He says slowly.

Fedrock smiles. "You seem unsure of that." He glances back at Finas.

"Don't like it. But..." Yuri stared at his hair. "... dealing."

Fedrock stands. He seems a few inches taller than Finas' 6'1". "It's the streetrat, isn't it?"

"If you mean Yuri, then yes."

"Whatever. Why does he like you so much, then?"

"Bob is a bad choice, then." Yuri mutters.

"No, it's a good choice, but Finas needs to answer my question..."

"Dunno." Finas shrugs.

"He's not bad of old-man knight." Yuri jerks his thumb at Finas. "Always caught me after I ate." Yuri nods.

Finas folds his arms. "I'm only 32..."

"Old." Yuri nods. The knight grumbles.

Fedrock chuckles, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You ready to go?" Noelle and Flynn are, and Flynn's still controlling giggles at pastel-pink Yuri.

"Wow, Noelle. You look beautiful..." Fedrock starts before Finas stomps on his foot.

Even through the armor, the man winces. "Back off, she's mine."

"Don't you have a girl already?" Yuri narrows his eyes at Fedrock.

Fedrock puts on an air of mock-hurt. "So, I'm not allowed to pay a woman a compliment now?"

"I thought I heard someone say you had a girlfriend." Yuri mutters.

Fedrock grunts. "I have a wife back in Halure."

"Close." Yuri mutters.

Noelle knocks him lightly. "Remember, behaving."

"Was." Yuri mutters, holding his head.

"Right. Let's go. Don't want to be late." Finas says, moving to the door, stashing his pipe in his pocket. Yuri follows, with his oh so blank expression fixed in place.

* * *

pity him. You know you want too. :D


	5. Ceremony's End

All of the Captains, 7 in total, have all received their official inauguration as Captains, including their new swords and Brigade assignments. There's a slight murmur of dissent among the assembled knights at the presence of a certain Twin-blade who doesn't seem to be a knight or family of a Captain. Said Twin-blade is looking bored with all this, wearing a set of armor that was definitely not knight armor and more along the lines of scale under his red coat.

Alexei sighs at the lack of order in the ranks. "The reason Lloyd Aurion is here..." He seems to quickly make something up "...is to show how the knights need to work with mercenaries and guilds to help in the war." He stands. "So. Captains Finas Scifo and Nylen Fedrock will be fighting Mr. Aurion to demonstrate." Both knights and twin blade stare at Alexei.

"Wha-I-bu-..." Lloyd splutters for a moment, then settles for scowling. "... Fine." Lloyd straightens and stands and rests his left hand the matching hilt. "How's this going to work?" There's very little of that goofy ness to him now, more irritation and a sort of strange focus.

"It'll be Scifo and Fedrock who try to beat Mr. Aurion. If you're as tough as you say, you won't have a problem." There seems to be a smirk playing about the Commandant's face. But you could be mistaken.

"Wonderful. Grand." Lloyd's irritated, and he draws both blades in one motion as he walks toward the center of the floor. Left hand blade red and orange, right hand blade blue and frosted white. "So, what's the plan?" There seems to be a slight personality shift. "First blood or till one can't move?"

"Until one can't move. If it's from Lloyd, the knights win, but Lloyd has to down both Fedrock and Scifo." There's murmurs of assent from the assembled knights.

"Delightful." Lloyd creates a corner off his right shoulder with both blades, half in a crouch. "Ready?" Both knights settle into stances, nodding. Alexei gives the order. Fedrock rushes in, but Finas is casting already.

"_Tempest_." Lloyd uses the spinning Strike Arte to summersault over Fedrock's head to Finas.

"Oh, Heavenly Blade..." Finas is muttering the casting chant.

"_Beast_." Lloyd slams into Finas, shoulder to the knight's gut, both blades to his side.

Finas is shoved back, but is still casting. "...Cast mine enemies from my sight." He starts drawing a sphere in the air from his sword. A high-level spell. "Here we go! _Blade Roll_!" A magical blade spawns, starting to whirl around the knight. Lloyd being in close proximity.

"_Lunge_!" Lloyd quickly brings his blades together, leans to the side, and is abruptly next to Fedrock with a flicker of violet. He looks a tiny bit winded, but backs off and recovers. "Spell caster. Concentration. Damn it." Lloyd mutters to himself. Fedrock slashes for Lloyd as Finas dashes in, sword raised. "_Rising Falcon, Hunting Beast, Sword Rain_!" Lloyd jumps into the air and lunges down at them, before turning as soon as he landed and slamming a shoulder for Fedrock and the great blue-white head of a lion forming and a shock wave as he landed again and spun for a wild fury of stabs toward Finas. Fedrock is knocked to the ground and Finas quickly throws up a Guardian, managing to block most of the stabs. "_Lightning Tiger Blade, Demonic Chaos, Grave Blade_!" Lloyd slashes up and falls with a bolt of lightning, then sets off a bunch of blue-white shockwaves before one that tore through the floor with rocks flying at Finas. Finas gets thrown back, groaning. Fedrock has took this opportunity to sneak behind Lloyd.

"_Ghost Wolf_!" He yells, using the arte to slash through Lloyd to attempt to get before the twin blade. Lloyd grunts and spins aside, but turns the spin into an actual slash, not just Artes.

"_Blazing Tempest_." Lloyd snaps, wreathed in fire as he performs the Tempest again. He moves away, and the hand on the flame-shaped blade glows with red. "Sorry if you all lose your eyebrows!" There was actually a chant feeling to that, as runes flick about into existence around him. "I'm still learning this." Finas gets to his feet, starting to cast. This time, it's a lot faster.

"Cleanse them with thy undefiled purity..." He creates circles around himself with his sword. "_Splash_!"

"_Eruption_!" Lloyd casts at the same time, and any mage in the room can tell something's wrong. For one thing, the glow was too big, and the heat that roiled from the red-orange crack in the floor. And the room erupts. Some of Finas' spell survives the heat of Lloyd's, and Lloyd yelps, as his blades hiss and crackle respectively.

"W-What the hell was that?" Finas yells. "You're overpowering those spells with too much aer!"

"Well, no one's taught me!" Lloyd shouts back, dashing through the resulting steam cloud. "Just wait until you see my high levels!" He _Beast_s into Fedrock.

"Oh, din of this modest land!" Finas is casting. "_Stone Blast_!" The wall of stones rises up to protect Fedrock who chains together an _Azure Edge _and a _Ghost Wolf_.

"Well if ya that unskilled, don't use 'em!" Fedrock shouts.

"See, I use them to take out more, though. Like this!" Lloyd was crackling with violet energy as he staggers back from Fedrock, a slightly mad grin on his face. "_Volt Arrow_!" Three balls of electricity form about them, and electricity arcs between them to fence them in. Finas yelps, jumping next to Fedrock. The mage knight seems pissed off.

"You're fucking insane! There's too much power in these spells. You're gonna kill someone."

"Oh. No one's used that yet?" Lloyd blinks, casting up a shining bubble that enclosed the fight. His eyes were definitely in the red side of red-brown, and the smile on his face stayed in place as the lightning spell struck, a large bolt striking down in the center of the three and radiating with the orbs. Finas and Fedrock throw up a Magic Guard which sends them bouncing off the bubbles walls. Both men fall to the ground, panting and sparking. Seems as though some of the spell got through. "So what qualifies as 'Downed'?" Lloyd tilts his head and asks loudly, his hair giving off sparks and porcupined. It seems that the young man is either armed with some lightning-immunity, or is naturally resistant. Most of the knights watching are quiet, although Yuri and Flynn are wide-eyed.

"Not being able to get up again after 10 seconds." Alexei clarifies. Finas and Fedrock get back up, looking ticked off.

"You're for it now." Nylen growls, starting to glow, as does Finas. The Mage knight runs in.

"Take this! _Blade Roll_!" The spell starts.

Fedrock runs in "_Double Azure Edge_!" Both men glow.

"Power of Honour!"

"Power of Justice!"

"_Knight's Symbol_!" A glyph appears beneath Lloyd, starting to lift him into the air.

"... This can't be good." Lloyd does remarkably well with floating in the air, then starts twitching. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Finas and Nylen jump up, darting forward using the Aer's power, slicing into Lloyd, one after the other. A very impressive show. Lloyd doesn't react very vocally to the pain, mostly grunts and small yelps and hisses. Both men land, starting to pant, becoming tired. Lloyd lands, staggers, and then lifts his head.

"That hurt." There's something a bit wrong with his expression, but that might have to do with the trail of blood and the black aura that formed about him. "I'll show you..." He moved stiffly, hissing a little as he drew his blades together. "The true meaning..." Blue light, the aer for his spell, was visible about him as he drew it in. "Of divine justice!" The way he said 'divine justice' was mocking.

"Aw, shit..." Fedrock says.

"I think that's an understatement, my friend..." Finas mumbles.

"_Falcon's Crest_!" Lloyd slams his two blades into the ground and the ground erupts with ice in a large almost seal like pattern that appears to want to go further than the limits of the battlefield. Fedrock and Finas both howl out in pain as the Hyogi hits them. The ice crumbles and when Lloyd straightens, it's to fall over.

"..." His expression is of 'Aw, damn it.'

Alexei blinks. "...It's a draw. I guess."

"... I used too much." Lloyd mutters, frowning. "... Brilliant."

"Does anyone wish to contest Mr. Aurion's right to be here anymore?" Alexei asks blandly. Yuri and Flynn are wide eyed, so much so it looks like their eyes might pop out.

Flynn recovers first. "D-Dad...Is he okay?"

"He's twitching." Yuri points down at them.

"Ah!" Lloyd's grinning a little dazedly. "Uhh... Chant went... chant went... Oh healing... power...?" Lloyd looked like he was concentrating hard enough to smoke out the ears. Noelle darts forward, whipping out the healing Blastia she has.

"Holy power, come to me..._First Aid_!" Flynn is close behind, a bit worried-looking.

"That's a new one." Lloyd grins at the ceiling. "_First Aid_." He mutters, as he twitches and stops bleeding. "... oh... right... Exhausted." He doesn't get very far in sitting up before pitching over.

"I believe the ceremony is concluded." Alexei says, although it doesn't look like he needs to. The remaining knights filter out, leaving Noelle to healing Finas and Nylen. Lloyd blinks slowly at the ceiling, then pushes himself up. He wavers, if it's possible to do while sitting, then sits there for a moment more once more or less steady. Yuri is watching him quietly with huge eyes. Finas groans, sitting up, holding his head.

"Dad!" Flynn glomps him. Lloyd watches, blinking slowly, then pushes himself to his feet. He wavers and nearly falls, but catches himself on the wall and sheathes his blades.

"You should still be sitting." Yuri points out to Lloyd.

Lloyd blinks, and frowns at him. "Aren't you s'posed to be a different color?"

"No, I'm Bob."

"... Huh." Finas detaches Flynn from him, standing and charging Lloyd, aiming to knock him into the wall and down to the ground. Lloyd steps to the side, but falls down anyway. "Hello."

Finas grabs Lloyd by the collar, hefting him up. "You idiot! That spell would have killed us!"

"... Oh." Lloyd blinks, letting his head roll back with the awkwardness of the position he was in. "... Yeah, _Falcon's_ usually does that..." He rolls his head back and forth and it pops a few times. "That goes on the list of no use during duels. So, s'pose _Divine Justice _is another to put on..."

"Never pull a stunt like that again! If we hadn't _Magic Barrier_'d at the right time, we'd be dead! Then what would you have done?"

"hnnn." Lloyd tilts his head. "... Welll... I'd be... more or less drained..." He's actually thinking about this.

Finas punches Lloyd. "That's an order! Don't do it again!"

"Ow." Lloyd grunts. "So, is that a 'don't do that in combat ever again', or a 'don't use that around me-slash-in my sight ever again', or a 'don't use it against me ever again'?" Lloyd asks.

"..." Finas gives him a look.

"Hey, I know how to make it so my allies aren't hit by my spells." Lloyd says, grinning behind Finas' fist. "If I Tag everyone in the brigade, I can use _Falcon's Crest _and you'll all just get chilled."

"It uses too much Aer. It's dangerous."

"It's also damn handy against a large group." Lloyd retorts. "But, if you don't want me using _Falcon_..."

"No using big spells without my orders." Lloyd's mouth goes open like a fish.

He gapes for a few seconds, then pouts. "Fine. I'll make a list, and description of each, so you can see." Finas slowly lets go, watching Lloyd suspiciously. Lloyd's muttering to himself now, things titled like '_Infernal Prison_', '_Indignation_' and '_Judgment_' as he slumps to the ground again. Rather like he was remembering what his high level spells were.

Nylen eventually sits up to find Finas crouched over him. "You okay?" Lloyd stops muttering, and gets back up again. He's unsteady, but that seems to be his main problem. He starts to leave, looking thoughtful. Fedrock sits, then stands, groaning. He notices Lloyd, running to jump him like Finas did.

Lloyd falls over conveniently at the time Fedrock would have collided with him. "Hello." And Nylen yanks Lloyd up, punching him in the face, then the gut. Lloyd grunts. "Hmmm. Deja-vu." He mutters _First Aid_ as lights flick about him.

Nylen tosses Lloyd to the ground. "I feel better."

"Great." Lloyd grunts. "Pick on the exhausted almost-magic-swordsman." He does get back up though. "I'm going to sleep. And write that list." and he wanders out. Noelle is slightly disapproving of the men's actions, but looks worried. Both captains slump to the ground, exhausted.

* * *

Everything Lloyd used is something that a tales character can use. Infernal Prison is from Tales of the Abyss, Volt Arrow is something that Origin uses, or Genis if you get him on the right side... i think.

I decided that Falcon's Crest and Divine Justice are two different Hi-ougi's for Lloyd, since i made him have some funny elemental types.

Knight's Crest is something Leon came up with for a Hi-Ougi. It's fun. Maybe we can get Finas to explain it at some point for veiwers and Lloyd. :D


	6. Basket

The door knocks while Yuri was intently staring at the food being passed out, his hair more lavender than pink due to a willing good scrub. Noelle eyes him, then opens the door when Yuri sits on his hands. Nylen and Finas are both sporting a broken arm and a black eye each. It's Lloyd, remarkably black eye and broken bone free, wielding a basket of various fruits.

"Sorry basket? With a 'get better soon cause I can't heal bones at the moment' basket?"

"..." Finas and Nylen's expressions flat-line.

"I've got two different kinds of melon, both green and red grapes, and black and regular cherries. And a tangerine." He looks sheepish. "Only one 'cause I ate the other."

"We're not talking to you." Nylen says.

"That's fine." Lloyd says, shifting some of the fruit in the basket as Noelle lets them in. "Oh. and red and green apples. And.. .a Satsuma. I don't remember putting that there."

"Then how did you heal your own bones?_ Knight's Crest _would have broken some, at least." Finas states, growling.

"I thought you weren't talking to me." Lloyd grins as he puts the basket down. Very carefully, he looks not at the two knights. "I said, 'at the moment'."

"..."

"Oooh. Oranges. I forgot about those. They must have been hiding." Lloyd is actually not wearing any gloves this time, and he pulls an orange out and begins peeling it. There's an odd spot on the back of his left hand that isn't as tan, and both his hands are lined with thin scars. "I can heal bones, sometimes. Not now. I'm still recovering. I used too much magic, so a bone-healing strength healing spell might just ... melt the bone or something." Yuri is poking an area of Lloyd's hand that seems different to the other parts. Lloyd blinks, and offers him an orange wedge as Noelle finishes serving food out to the others and got Lloyd a plate as well.

"Thank you." Lloyd smiles as she gives him some. Yuri noms it. Lloyd passes Yuri most of the rest of the orange, wedge at a time, while he slowly eats the portion Noelle gave him. "So, if you're gunna talk to me, I'm kinda cautious to know what Alexei's told you about me, Captain Scifo." This was accompanied by an orange wedge on the edge of Finas' plate. "... If anything." Lloyd amends.

"We're not talking to you." Finas and Nylen repeat.

"Ahhh, I see!" Lloyd grins as he eats an orange wedge. "You two are grumpy because a guy a decade or so younger than you managed to beat both of you at once!" He nods, like this logic makes sense to him as he eats some of the dinner. "And 'cause he fell over not because of what you did, but due to magic exhaustion!"

"...get out before I kill you." Finas mutters bitterly.

"Must'a been right on the mark." Lloyd drawls, picking an orange wedge apart to eat the little juice packets inside. "And you'd have to catch me first." He's grinning.

"..." Finas glares at Lloyd.

"That's scarier when you have red eyes." Lloyd comments, ignoring the glare as he eats. Yuri's looking amused, and Flynn's in shocked awe. Fedrock is ignoring Lloyd, having great difficulty holding his fork in his right hand. Noelle is watching, and looking like she's debating when it was going to be time to use the spoon on them. Lloyd gives Yuri the remainder of the orange he peeled.

Finas continues eating. "Thanks for your concern, but I'm more pi... Ticked off at how you nearly killed us."

"Ah." Lloyd chewed slowly. "I forgot that you likely weren't as durable as my dad." His expression flickers into something unreadable as he says that before a cheery blandness. "My list of high-level spells is in the basket, too."

Finas twitches lightly. "Fine..."

Lloyd shifts awkwardly. "I'm not used to being under someone else's command. But, if you want me, any time when... I'm not supposed to be there, Alexei's forced rooms in the castle on me." Lloyd pulls a replacement orange out of his pocket, and shifts like he's going to excuse himself from the table.

"Thanks for the apology..." Finas clears his throat. "At least you made the effort..."

"Welcome." Lloyd gives him a bright smile. "If you're not better within the week, I'd be able to heal you, if you want. Thank you for dinner." Lloyd puts his plate and silverware into the kitchen and leaves. Finas still looks sullen, but not as much. Fedrock still has the same expression as before, not saying a word

"He seems like a nice young man, if a little... off." Noelle says, giving Yuri more salad. He still seems to favor it. Fedrock is finally stirred into speaking.

"He has the makings of a murderer." He comments darkly. Yuri and Flynn's eyes go wide.

"Really?" Noelle asks.

Fedrock grunts. "Any individual with that kind of power is."

"I see." Noelle frowns, then turns to Finas. "Well, you can help with that."

"..." Finas seems to be contemplating it. "And what if he blows me up?"

"Then I'll send Yuri and Flynn at him with spoons." Noelle says. "Just try to guide him away from going completely ax-crazy. Be a father figure."

"He says he has a dad." Nylen comments.

"Then an uncle." Noelle says. "An older brother, if you want to go that way."

"I'll try. But if I get hurt, I'm blaming you."

"You could blame the Commandant. He put Lloyd in your brigade." Yuri points out with his fork.

Finas points his spoon at Yuri. "Ssh... The adults are talking."

Yuri jabs at Finas' spoon. "Fork wins. More pokies. So you listen. Blame Commandant."

"If I blame the Commandant, I may not have a job when I recover."

"You don't have to tell the commandant you blame him." Yuri points out.

"..." Finas pokes about at his food, contemplating. Yuri looks like he thinks he won this bit and starts eating again. Nylen pushes his empty plate to one side lighting up his own pipe.

"..." Flynn looks at his food remnants. "Captain Fedrock... You said 'anyone with that much power has the makings of a murderer'... But.. Aren't there Knights better than Lloyd?"

"Yes. But they're knights. They're on the good side." Nylen says.

"But.. Lloyd's working with the Knights. Doesn't that mean he is too?" Flynn frowns.

"Yeah, but tomorrow, Lloyd could be working against the knights."

"Not if he's in Flynn's old man's brigade." Yuri points out with his fork.

"...I'm 32..." Finas mutters.

"Old." Yuri nods.

"Girl." Finas nods.

"I don't have boobs!" Yuri yells in protest. Fedrock shifts slightly, making it obvious who told Yuri about those. Flynn's eyes are wide, and Noelle's spoon meets both Fedrock and Yuri's head. "Ow." Yuri holds his head. Nylen yelps, rubbing the back of his head.

"No more talking about that." Noelle says.

"Old man, I got hit because of you." Yuri glares at Fedrock.

"Then maybe you should listen when I say 'don't repeat'." Noelle's got an angry vein twitch.

"... is Jugs better to use, then?" Yuri frowns. Noelle whacks them both. "Ow!"

"Ow."

"Enough on this topic." Noelle points at Yuri with her spoon. Yuri sticks his fork in his mouth and sits that way for a bit, holding his head.

Fedrock mutters under his breath. "I didn't teach him the last one..."

"I said enough." Noelle puts the spoon where Fedrock would have to go cross eyed to stare at it. "It's bad enough you taught him one." And he does, blinking.

"He didn't tell me where they were though." Yuri mutters, frowning. Noelle goes pink but glares at Fedrock all the same. Flynn looks thoroughly confused. Fedrock adjusts his pipe, looking unabashed.

"You've gotten more perverted as time goes on, old man." Finas says, shaking his head.

"Old man!" Yuri and Flynn crow, pointing at Fedrock.

"Perverted old man!" Yuri puts together. Finas smirks. Fedrock glares at his friend, mouthing the words "You bastard" silently. "You bastard!" Yuri points at Finas, having read Fedrock's lips. Noelle twitches, and Flynn's eyes go wide.

Fedrock pales. "Crap."

"Crap." Yuri repeats. Noelle's got that black aura of impending doom. Flynn's already inching away. As is Finas. Thus leaving Yuri and Nylen in the line of fire.

"Yuri. Bed, now." Yuri blinks, quickly shovels as much as he can into his mouth, and scampers off. "Nylen..." Noelle starts. And Fedrock flinches as she says his name. "first, if you say such things, mouth such things in front of Flynn and Yuri again, you're not going to sleep inside my house next time you're in town. Second, get out before I break something else of yours!" Noelle points her spoon at him. Nylen stands, quickly vacating the spot sharpish, cursing mutely as he bangs his splint on the door. Noelle proceeds to clean up dinner with muted clashing noises. Flynn peers in on her, ghostly-faced, and ducks back every time she might see him.

Finas rubs Flynn's head. "C'mon. I got something to show you." Flynn looks at his mom, then Finas and nods. Finas leads Flynn outside, grabbing a long box on his way out. Flynn watches and follows. Finas sets the box on the ground and opens it, showing his old sword, polished to perfection.

Flynn stares. "It's your sword."

"I got a new one for becoming a captain. I know you might be a bit young, but I want to give my old one to you." Flynn's expression is one of teary "OMG THANKS."

"Cool shiny sword." Yuri looks at it.

"...How'd you get here?" Yuri blinks at him as Flynn jumps.

"Out the window." Yuri points at the open window.

"...Get back to bed before Noelle finds out." Yuri pouts, but climbs back up the side of their house and in through the window. He blows Finas a raspberry and shuts the window. "..." Finas turns back to Flynn. "Now be careful with it. I've dulled the sides for now so you won't cut anything." Flynn stares at the sword, and then tackles Finas' leg. The knight grunts, stepping back a bit.

"Thankyou!" Flynn yells. Finas smiles slightly, sitting down to hug Flynn. Flynn hugs him.

* * *

I feel that a street-brat Yuri wouldn't have had that phase where he actually gets to see the response to his parroting of words...

So he had it.

heheh.


	7. Arrangements

And we're starting to focus more on Fedrock and Finas and Lloyd now.

Partially running out of ideas for Flynn and Yuri moments, but there WILL be some.

or i shall injure my co-author(s)

* * *

Fedrock grumbles as he limps along and looks for that inn he _knew_ was nearby.

"D-Damn..." He mutters, clutching his shoulder, hiding in the shadows. A group of rough, grumpy looking men spread out, talking loudly and angrily. In fact, they look a whole lot like the ones Fedrock and Finas had fought in the bar the day Finas had his promotion delivered. Fedrock grumbles. "Looking for payback, eh?" He sighs.

One gets close enough to see him. "Hey! He's one of those damn knights!" Fedrock still has his splint. He's still looking very beat-up.

"Hey, he's half dead too!" Another calls, and the group starts to close in. Fedrock waits until they're close enough before entering Overlimit. He books it. Some of the men were far enough back that Fedrock's Overlimit didn't topple them. They give chase while their fellows groan and swear and get to their feet. Fedrock occasionally changes direction by means of Ghost Wolf. Soon, however, he's backed into a corner, frowning. The grumpy guildsman thugs follow him, looking angry and malicious. The ones in the back jeer and urge those in the front on. The ones in the front take their time swaggering closer before throwing the first punches. Nylen tries to fight back, but he's slow, not used to fighting with his wrong hand. And so he's getting beaten up. Fedrock is lying on the ground, groaning. One of the guildsmen has an axe. He raises it... And then curls over as a little lavender haired kid kicks him in the balls, then moves to beat on another with a stick and a wooden spoon. Soon enough, Yuri is grabbed by several men and drop kicked from the alley. His response is to throw the stick at one, and run off. The Guildsmen proceed to beat Fedrock up some more. And then Yuri returns, with a better stick, and two adults. One familiar blonde knight, and one irritated looking brunette not-knight.

"Hey, you don't get to beat them up!" Lloyd kicks one into another.

"Maw of envisioned darkness!" Finas is casting, a dark aura about him. "Here we go! _Spread Zero_!" The orb of darkness surrounds 4 guildsmen, exploding, sending them flying. Yuri's attacking people with his stick, swapping hands as often as not. Lloyd is... using his fists, but still managing to use Artes like _Sword Rain_, _Tiger Blade_, and _Sonic Thrust_. He's renamed them on the fly, though. Nylen sits up, groaning, he looks half-dead.

"This is going to sting." Lloyd says it rhythmically. "_First Aid_." his spell is minty green in color, and cold rather than warm. He takes a punch to the face and retaliates with a knee to the gut, chin, then a fist to the face. Fedrock hisses in pain as the spell does sting.

"Oh, din of this modest land..." Finas seems to be sticking to novice spells. "_Stone Blast_!" Lloyd throws this stunned guildsman into two more of his fellows.

"I'm not even going to try that." Lloyd tells Finas. "I'd probably blow up a building or something." Yuri has clambered on top of a guildsman and was pulling his hair and covering his eyes.

Finas darts in with his sword. "I'll teach you..." He bonks a man with his sword. "...How to control the Aer in those spells." Yuri yelps as another guildsman pulls him off the one he was tormenting, and then sinks his teeth into him. and so the man yelps.

"Now might be a bit risky." Lloyd's got that sort of grin that says he likes being good at what he does as he kicks another in the groin.

"_Fireball_!" Finas blasts off the spell. "Really?" He retorts sarcastically.

"Oh yes. My low level spells are a bit big too. I got the magic... just... not the finesse." Lloyd uses '_Demon Fist_' and knocks another guildsmen into the wall. Soon, the knight, not-knight and the street-rat have beat them. And Lloyd starts going through their pockets and lumping them all in a pile.

Finas raises an eyebrow. "Knights don't loot." He frowns. "But you're not a knight...duh."

"I'm only taking any strange bits of paper and random materials." Lloyd blinks. "I'm leaving... most... of their Gald."

"...Strange bits of paper?" Finas asks, walking over to nudge Nylen.

"Just seein' if anyone put them up to it." Lloyd unfolds one piece of paper, blinks, turns pink and puts it back.

"What is it?" Finas asks, nudging Yuri who seems to be playing dead.

"... loveletter." Lloyd coughs. Yuri blinks, and then returns to playing dead.

Finas smirks a bit. "These guys have love interests?"

"Apparently... this one did." Lloyd leaves the unconscious man. Finas grunts. He grabs Fedrock around the waist, managing to hoist the larger man relatively easily. Lloyd picks up Yuri and slings him over his shoulder. "Do you all need healing?" Lloyd asks as Yuri yelps.

"I'm fine. Despite my arm still being broken." Finas comments.

"I could heal that now." Lloyd offers.

Finas shrugs. "It's nearly healed..." He thinks. "Noelle banned him from our house."

"... That'd be a problem." Lloyd crossed his arms over Yuri's legs. "... I can bring him back with me..." Lloyd says slowly. "I can set a cot up for myself..."

"Just until he can defend himself again." Finas says. "Lead the way."

"That's fine." Lloyd sounds a bit like he's thinking, but he turns and leads the way back up to the castle. Yuri's playing dead again with a petulant expression on his face.

"Yuri. You can stop playing now." Yuri makes a face at him. Finas smirks. They soon reach Lloyds room in the castle. Lloyd unlocks it and sets Yuri down. He's got a bed, and a desk, window and dresser, as well as a closet or a connected bathroom. The desk is covered with wood shavings and small carvings, and the window sill has potted plants. Lloyd clears wood shavings off the bed and shakes the blankets out to make sure of that. Before Finas unceremoniously dumps Fedrock onto the bed. "Always getting into trouble..."

"Mnnn." Lloyd's sweeping up the wood shavings on the floor with his feet.

"...Like to carve, huh?" He looks at some of the figures on his desk.

"Yeah." Lloyd doesn't glance up. The carvings are people, a girl in a dress, a boy in shorts, a long haired man with a short blade. A dog creature about the size of the long haired man. Another is half done, a rough figure with the beginnings of a staff.

"They're very good..."

"Thanks." Lloyd says, kicking the shavings into a pile in a corner. "Don't... you need to be home?" Lloyd frowns a little at them, but it's a mildly curious one, and only a bit of 'this is my space, and it's getting crowded.'

Finas picks Yuri up. "Meet me tomorrow. We'll start practicing magic."

"Your place, some courtyard here?" Lloyd asks, glancing over as he undoes buckles on the sides of his boots. Yuri wriggles, then plays dead.

"..." Finas stares at him. "Uh. Training courtyard. 10 sound good?" Yuri makes a face at him, then goes back to playing still.

"Yeah, works fine." Lloyd rubs the back of his head as he shucks his boots.

Finas points at Nylen. "He gives you any attitude, you have my permission to annoy him."

Lloyd blinks. "I see." Lloyd glances at Nylen, then Finas. "I promise it won't involve any magic."

"Good. I still like the old man." He smirks. "Just."

Lloyd grins, waving at them a little. "G'night."

"You're old too." Yuri pokes Finas.

"And you look like a girl." Yuri flails and grumbles. Finas laughs out. "You gonna walk or not?"

"... yes." Yuri mumbles. Finas sets him down, tousling his lavender hair. Lloyd shuts the door after them, and then sets to quietly setting up a cot.

* * *

Fedrock is mumbling in his sleep before jolting awake. "Gah!"

"Heylo." Lloyd's sitting at his desk, in a black tank that shows off scars on his arms, carefully working on the figure that seemed to hold a staff of some sort.

Nylen blinks. "How the hell...?"

"Finas." Lloyd guesses he was wondering how he got there, blowing some shavings away.

"...Finas." Nylen growls. "That guy always saves my ass.."

"Yuri's the one that found him, and I was on my way back from getting materials, so..." Lloyd shrugs. There's more pieces of wood sitting on his desk now.

"Yuri. You mean I owe my life to a street rat?"

"Mmmhm. He used one of Noelle's spoons. He seems to think they're the ultimate weapon, or something, given how much they hurt." Lloyd carefully carves.

"They do hurt..." Nylen says. The he glares at Lloyd. "I still don't like you."

"That's fine." Lloyd's voice was rather blank. "I'm not particularly interested in having everyone like me. There's better things to be doing. Ow." Lloyd pops his finger into his mouth. Nylen sighs, trying to sit up. Lloyd turns. "I'd not do that. I only got you with a _First Aid_."

"..." Nylen suddenly yelps in pain.

"I thought- never mind." The entire thing was his chant. "_First Aid_." Lloyd casts again, frowning a little. "Why is it whenever the Professor tells people to stay put, they do so, but no one listens to me when I can heal?"

Nylen squirms as it stings. "Owowow."

Lloyd watches, his head titled. "Sleep helps you heal from some things. I'd go back to it." The sparks fade as the spell ends. Lloyd stretches, and his shirt tugs awkwardly. He's got a thick scar by his shoulder blade that vanishes down his shirt. "You need to sleep." he points at Nylen.

Fedrock's eyes droop as he says the following. "I don't..." He yawns.

"Yes, you do. Healing spells make you tired. I know from experience." Lloyd half-grins at him, turning back to carving. Fedrock doesn't complain any more, climbing into bed. Lloyd blinks and waters his plants, then turns off the light. He sits before the window, however, with his figure and another block and his tools.

* * *

*hums*


	8. Magic Practice

Finas is stood in the courtyard, waiting. Fedrock yawns, lying sprawled across the entirety of the bed. He blinks at the shavings on the floor. Lloyd pulls his gloves on as he wanders down.

His hair is wet and dripping into his face. "My clock must be off."

Finas turns around, blinking. "Right. We'll leave the thunder spells." He sighs. "Do you know _Spread Zero_? We're gonna start with Novice spells."

"I can't use darkness." Lloyd raises a hand. "I can use Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth and Light, though. Dark stings."

Finas folds his arms. "Pity. Dark is easy. Okay. _Stone Blast_. Know that one?"

Lloyd tilts his head back and forth. "Yeah. That's the one that flings rocks about, right?"

Finas hands him a strip with some weird symbols on it. "That formula learns the spell to your Blastia." Lloyd stares at it, then sticks the hand with the strip down his shirt. He shivers, and pulls out the blank strip.

"That's... weird." his eyes flick to the right then his expression to annoyance and closed off. Finas stares at Lloyd curiously. Lloyd blinks at him. "What?"

"Nothing...Ready?"

"Mmhn." Lloyd tilts his head. "So.. What'm I supposed to do? Just start casting?"

"No. First, concentrate. Feel the Aer in the environment. You need to feel its flow before using it." Lloyd frowns, crossing his arms and looking like he's thinking hard.

It takes him a while. "Feel it."

"What's the rhythm? Tap it out." This takes him a little longer, but he does so, tapping it out on his arm. Finas joins in. "Each tap means the Aer is passing through. Start casting. Use only the Aer that taps."

Lloyd opens an eye, looking confused. "Not my ... Aer?"

"If we learn this way, it's easier. Gradual."

"Huh. Just been using mine..." Lloyd closed his eye, and then started taping again. After a moment, little brown runes started forming with each tap.

"Start incanting when you are just under the limit." The brown runes flit about Lloyd, growing in number, until he mumbles.

"Dad uses 'Take this'." He says it like a chant.

"You'll notice it getting faster. Fill the limit and release it." Lloyd continues taping, and the swarm of runes gets wider.

"_Stone Blast_!" It's still a bit large.

"Getting better. Now watch me. Sense the change in the Aer."

"First..." Lloyd tilts his head. "What's the limit s'posed to feel like?"

"A nub or bump in the power. Think of it as a glass."

Lloyd blinks, then rubs the side of his head. "I'm guessing it'd be a bad thing if I... didn't feel that? Thought I had more than enough."

"Ah! I got an idea." He pulls another formula strip. "This is a limiter. It restricts the amount of Aer a Blastia can absorb. I'm sure once you know how much power a spell takes, it'll be easier."

Lloyd takes and looks at it. "... How long does this last?" Lloyd turns it over carefully. "I know it's good, not over charging spells but... I'd like to be able to, should it be helpful..."

"It can be removed and re-used. It's the invention of Silas Mordio. A brilliant Blastia engineer."

"Ahh, good." Lloyd looks relieved. "So, this one won't peel off or something?" Finas presses a symbol.

It turns into a ring. "Fit this around the core." Lloyd stretches it so it's a little more oval, and then sticks it into his shirt.

He shivers. "Still feels weird."

"That's the limiter. We give it to trainee mages so they find the bite of the Aer. Try to cast _Stone Blast_." Lloyd tilts his head, concentrating, then the runes slowly flit into being. After a bit, he almost looses the spell.

"Definitely felt that this time." He uses his unorthodox chant ability. "_Stone Blast_." It's much more normal sized.

Finas smiles. "Good. Now we just have to practice bringing up your casting time."

Lloyd opens an eye at him. "Like taking more Aer at each... beat?"

Finas nods. "Start small. Once we get it at the ambient Aer's beat, we can switch to using internal." He smiles lightly. "Each person has their own beat and flow."

"Makes sense." Lloyd tilts his head. "Like each person has elements that they're aligned more with, and ones they can't stand."

"Different types of Aer have different rhythms, too." He looks around motioning around the courtyard. "This yard is more aligned to attracting darkness and earth elemental-type aer. It's the shape. It channels it a bit more."

"No wonder I've a bit of an itch." Lloyd mutters, scratching his back. "Dark's bad."

"Healers and Light mages aren't normally...Allergic to dark." Finas says, frowning a bit.

"It's a family trait." Lloyd shrugs. "Light barely hurts, but Dark leaves burns. And they last a while too."

"That's a weird family trait." Finas doesn't seem to be letting it go.

"You haven't met my dad." Lloyd grins widely and shark like. "Weird doesn't begin to cover it. I got my magic from his side." He decides to start to end the conversation by closing his eyes and trying to get more Aer with each beat. Finas circles Lloyd, watching. The knight seems adept at sensing the flow of Aer in the environment.

"You're trying too much." He mutters at one point. Lloyd's runes flicker like he was going to drop the spell far faster and he quickly casts.

"Is it supposed to feel like I'm stubbing fingers I don't have when I hit the limit?"

"I've heard some of the kids moan about it. I suppose it's accurate. The Limiter does stop you 'reaching' for more Aer."

"Well, I'll just figure out how much then... No stubbed fingers, thanks." Lloyd shakes his left hand out, and closes his eyes again. The runes slowed in gathering, and then stayed the same for a while Lloyd frowned. "_Stone blast_." he gestures and casts. "... Think I got it. Maybe."

"Want to try without the Limiter?"

"Once after I don't stub my fingers." Lloyd rolls his shoulders and tries again. The runes don't flicker like he ran into a wall, but they twitch and he casts. "Felt like I caught my nails on the edge or something. Think I've got it."

"Try it a couple more times."

"N'k." Lloyd mumbles, and does so. The slight tremor fades to the runes with each time, until there isn't one twice. "... Now I feel..." He frowns a little, thinking. "Sore? Stiff? Stretched? Not Exhausted, cause I haven't been using mine..."

"It'll stretch your body a bit. A lot of Aer can tire people."

"Like exercise for the... Aer-system." Lloyd nods, and stretches a bit.

"You can call it that." The knight shrugs. "Ready for without the limiter?"

"I'll try." Lloyd pulls the limiter out of his shirt and looks at it, then shrugs and pockets it. He concentrates, and then the runes form. After a bit they slow, and Lloyd tilts his head back and forth, and then another two form and he casts.

Finas smiles lightly. "I think we have it."

"I kinda... get used to the feel of the... amount I have." Lloyd kinda shifts his hands like he's holding something. "So now I know how much of it I need to grab..." He frowns. "... For _Stone Blast_."

"_Stone Blast_ is one of the more powerful Novice spells."

"I thought _Fire Ball_ was." Lloyd tilts his head. "... When all three hit. Or _Wind Blade_. Not that I can use _Wind Blade_."

"_Fire Ball_ can be low or higher." Finas agrees.

"I personally think _Fire Ball_'s fine to make bigger." Lloyd crosses his arms.

"I suppose." Finas says. "That's enough for today. We can work on Intermediate spells tomorrow."

"All right." Lloyd tilts his head. "Is there... a field... where I can practice? Novice ones. I know there's the salle's for swords, archery range..."

"Here's good. Most of the Mageknights practice here."

"m'k." Lloyd scratches the back of his head. "I'm hungry." He announces, and makes to wander off to fix that.

"I'm gonna visit Nylen." Finas calls after Lloyd. The knight starts, then stops, staring into the shadows. The shadows shift a little. There's a whispered hiss and the shifting moves back. "..." Finas stares a bit more before continuing. There's the sound of footsteps after him. Finas has his sword drawn, pointed behind him. Yuri yelps, ducking under while Flynn goes to the side. Finas sighs. "What are you two doing here?"

"Watching." Yuri says.

"Making sure he doesn't get in trouble." Flynn says.

"I would not!" Yuri protests.

Finas sighs. "If you had wanted to come, you should have said." He points his sword at Yuri. "Its not a good idea to be sneaking around the palace. I haven't cleared your warrant yet."

"I'm Bob." Yuri says blandly. He's still lavender rather than violet. All of the sudden, he tilts his head, and books it away.

"Eh?" Flynn blinks, but hears the smaller set of footsteps. Finas turns as he hears the footsteps, sword still out. There's a little pinkette girl, younger than Flynn or Yuri, and tearily lost.

Finas quickly sheathes his sword. "L-Lady Estellise!" He says, running over to her. "Why are you out alone?"

"Wanted to find flowers." She sniffles, and clings onto him. "Loooost!" Flynn follows, curiously.

Finas sighs, hugging the little girl. "I'll come with you to the gardens if you want."

"Y-you will?" She scrubs at her eyes. "R-really?"

Finas smiles kindly. "Of course."

"T-Thank you, Mr. Knight!" Estellise sniffles. Flynn blinks, keeping his dad between him and the little lady.

Finas brings her around. "This is my son, Flynn." He says. "Flynn, meet Estellise."

Flynn attempts to bow. "Nice to meet you." Estellise blinks at him and nods a little, because she's still in a hug and can't do much else.

"T-the pleasure is mine." She sniffles a little, rubbing her eyes. Little Noble Manners already being taught. Finas sets Estellise down once more, it not being proper for a commoner to be holding a princess. He stands. Estellise scrubs her nose and eyes, then looks to Finas to lead. And he does, walking in a pace so Estellise can keep up. They soon reach the flower garden. Estellise squees, because that's pretty much the sound it was, and runs into the garden. She knows better than to pluck them, or jump on them, but that doesn't stop her from shoving her face into them.

Finas smiles, patting Flynn's head as the boy stands beside him. "Lady Estellise, where are your carers or parents?" Estellise straightens from sniffing flowers. She's managed to get some of the pollen on her face.

"..." she shifts a little. "They were eating..." She grabs onto her dress a bit. Finas offers a handkerchief to the little lady to clear the pollen. It comes back slightly yellow, and mostly smeared it across her face.

"May I?" Finas offers, looking to clean her up a little more. Estellise blinks and moves closer and closes her eyes for him. Finas gently cleans off the pollen successfully. Estellise sneezes, then turns to look at more flowers.

"Proper little princess, eh?" A familiar sounding voice comes from behind. Estellise jumps, looking around. Flynn looks about too.

"Nylen..." Finas sighs.

"Are you feeling better?" Flynn asks. "Yuri told me he beat people off you with a stick."

The larger knight walks into the garden, smiling at little Estellise, then Flynn. "I'm fine, lad. And yeah. He's a great fighter." Flynn smiles. It's a bit of 'I found him' sort of pride to it.

"You were hurt, Mr. Knight?" Estellise asks worriedly. Nylen still has his arm in a sling.

"It's nothing to worry about, my lady." He says, polite when he wants to be. Finas' expression is unreadable at this.

"But..." Estellise blinks a little, looking down. "Sling means hurt!" She points.

Nylen waves his hand. "It's nothing."

"But..." Estellise kept looking down. "... Okay..."

Fedrock kneels by Estellise. "Thanks, though."

"Hey, have you seen Fedrock?" Lloyd wanders by, looking at Finas. "He wasn't where I left him." Flynn points at Fedrock as Estellise keeps staring at his sling'd arm, but mutters 'Your welcome' and turns back to flowers. Fedrock stands, smiling, waving to Lloyd with his good arm. "Ah. Okay then." Lloyd blinks at Estellise, and tilts his head curiously. "Hello." He waves at her, and she blinks and shyly waves a little back. "I was going to get food, did you want anything or did you already get yourself something to eat?" Lloyd asks Fedrock.

"I'll be along in a bit!" Nylen calls after Lloyd.

"Alright." Lloyd waves again to Estellise, then grins at Flynn and Finas, and wanders off.

Nylen turns to Finas. "You wanna come with? You won't have had anything either."

"After I see Lady Estellise to her guardians." Finas says. Flynn's stomach grumbles.

Nylen nods. "Want me to take Flynn with me? He looks close to passing out."

"That would be good." Finas says, looking down at Flynn. "I have the feeling he didn't eat breakfast." Flynn looks sheepish. He attempts to bow again, a little better, to Estellise, and then heads over to Nylen. Nylen winces as he leans down to pick Flynn up.

"You are hurt!" Estellise points at him, frowning a little.

"Like I said, my lady, I've lived through worse."

"B-but..." She's starting to get teary. "I-if you hurt, then you should get healed!"

Nylen double-takes. "U-Uh, I will. I promise."

"Promise?" Estellise sniffles and holds her pinky up. Flynn blinks. Nylen blinks, leaning down to pinky-promise. As he does so, a golden glow flits from Estellise to Nylen. She beams at him. "You kept your promise!" Fedrock blinks.

"Was that..._First Aid_?" Finas asks, amazed. Fedrock strips his sling, blinking, flexing his arm. Estellise smiles, and goes back to look at flowers. Nylen frowns at the little girl.

He then smiles, still holding Flynn. "Best get going. I have a feeling Lloyd is like a black hole."

"He looks like he would be." Finas agrees. "Come along, Lady Estellise. I'm sure if you asked, you can see the flowers again after your studies." The pinkette blinked at him. "I'm sure you've worried someone."

She blinked again and her eyes go wide. "Which way back?" Nylen departs with Flynn. Finas leads Estellise away towards her room.


	9. Gossip

Nylen is sat at a bar later that night, having recovered successfully. Finas wanders in. After spotting Nylen, he looked to see if there was any guildsmen. Not spotting any, Finas decided it was safe enough to sit by his friend.

"I saw that look." Nylen mutters. "I've put a warrant out for the Black Fortune's Market. That guild that was causing trouble."

"I see." Finas gets himself a drink.

"Of course, most people assumed I caused the trouble." He smiles somewhat wolfishly at Finas.

"With your record?" Finas acted surprised. "I wonder why?"

"I get the job done though, right?" Fedrock chuckles. "Also. That Aurion kid... He's a bit of a weirdo."

"Really?" Finas asks over his drink.

"Aye. I think he's a chronic insomniac. He was still awake at about 2am, carving away, staring up at Brave Vesperia."

Finas frowns a little. "He didn't seem to have any trouble with magic this morning..."

"Has he learned control yet? I don't want him to explode the city..."

"He has _Stone Blast_ down." Finas shrugs. "He can't feel the little hitch to a spell that says he's put enough Aer into it. Almost like his magic is meant to be over the top."

"Well with that Hyogi he cast on us, I'd say that. It's almost as if he doesn't use Aer..."

"Other than the fact that that'd be impossible, he did mention that he was using his own, not the ambient Aer."

"Now THAT's impossible. Ambient Aer is what gives us the internal Aer..."

"He was drawing on his internal Aer, rather than the ambient." Finas took a drink. "It took him a bit to hear the flow, but he could, he just acted like it never occurred to him."

"Drawing on..." Fedrock seems to think. "Wouldn't that put someone in danger? If he uses his internal Aer, his body absorbs more Aer to replace..." Nylen sighs. "We best keep him away from Aer krene, then..."

"Sounds like the best idea." Finas sighs. "... Have you ever heard of anyone who was... allergic... to the Dark-element?"

"Just rumors. Lost elements. Angels, all that stuff. Legends, right?"

"Definitely. Angels..." Finas snorts. "But... Lloyd said Dark burns him."

"You sayin' he's some kinda mythical beast?""

"I doubt it. He's not Kritya, he's not one of those monsters we fight, and he doesn't look like he's some weird genetic experiment." Finas drinks. "... Though, his eyes are a little red."

"They seem to turn redder when he's angry. A new type of Blastia, maybe?"

"Maybe." Finas muses. "He keeps it under his shirt."

"Weird place...Maybe it's a new Hermes model."

"Maybe." Finas drinks again. "You know, we could always ask him about some of these things rather than gossiping."

Fedrock groans. "Gossip is more fun."

"Well..." Finas tilts his head. "We can watch him. If it looks like he's having problems with his insomnia, then we can try to help, or something."

Fedrock grunts, downing his drink. "All this talk of Blastia..." He sighs. "I think we're too dependent on them."

"Probably." Finas finishes. "Or, at least the people with Blastia doing almost everything for them. Lower Quarter still mostly uses fire for lights."

"That pisses me off, too. Blastia only for the rich, powerful and the fighters." Fedrock scowls.

"Given the current situation, the fighters makes sense." Finas sighs. "I managed to get Noelle hers because she had some skill in medicine before... but I never would have managed otherwise. Common Born Knight Families aren't Top Priority." He mutters.

"Did you hear the rumor? That the monsters we're fighting are intelligent?"

"No." Finas shivers. "And that's a little creepy. Did you hear the one that there's a human on their side?"

"A human fighting with the monsters? Really? Hell, even the Union joined the war with us."

"Yeah. Except, it sounds like his monster buddy doesn't exactly want to fight, but since he's a monster yet..." Finas grumbles. "And the Union helping us is a mixed blessing."

"I guess." Fedrock comments, yawning.

Finas yawns, for yawns are contagious. "All right, it feels like it's time to sleep."

Nylen claps his friend roughly on the shoulder. "Aye. G'night."

"Where are you sleeping?" Finas asks with another yawn, getting up.

"Here. Upstairs."

"Ah. G'night, Nylen." Finas waves and leaves.

* * *

Nylen and Finas both nod at each other. They walk towards Lloyd and hook their arms under his, starting to pull. Lloyd blinks, almost dropping a figure he'd been walking and carving.

"Eh?"

"We need to talk." Finas states, dragging Lloyd to an isolated corner.

"When did you last sleep..." Fedrock starts, but Finas interjects.

"Are you an angel?" Nylen stares at his friend.

"3 yea-" Lloyd abruptly clamped his mouth shut and stared at them, eyes wide. "A-angels... aren't real..." He tries to grin at them. Finas frowns a bit, but shuts up, closing his eyes.

Fedrock cuts in. "Did you say 3 years?"

"No." Lloyd blinks, his grin shaky. "I didn't say 3 years." His voice cracks.

"Then what did you say. Sounded like 3 years."

"Three hours." Lloyd blinks, trying to keep his grin wide. Fedrock frowns. Finas snaps his eyes open, turning Lloyd around and, before Nylen can stop him, drives his elbow into a spot on Lloyd's back. Lloyd yelps, and his coat cuts as large turquoise wings, each three times longer than he is tall unfold. He twists and presses his back to the wall, eyes wide and half-glowing on them. He looked like he was going to bolt.

"I thought as much." Finas states.

Fedrock gapes. "W-What...?"

"Why did you do that?" Lloyd's voice croaks a little then steadies into flat. He's got a visible turquoise aura to him even as his wings disappear into the wall like they weren't there. "Why in the name of Niflheim did you do that?"

"This way we get a straight answer." Finas looks serious. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

"My name is Lloyd Aurion-Irving. I'm 22, and I'm here because my magic sword with power over time and space screwed up and landed me in front of a brigade. I'm looking for my dad, uncle, and pet dog." Lloyd grits out, his eyes reddening. A wing tip moves out of the wall some 17 feet down, then back into the wall. Fedrock looks lost and confused.

Finas ignores him. "The Commandant... That's why... It all makes sense."

"I knocked the brigade all out because I didn't understand why they attacked me. Then monsters showed up and tried to eat them, got one, and they found me because I stayed there to keep the rest alive. Unconscious, but, they kept trying to attack me." Lloyd grumbles. "Your Commandant decided he wanted to keep me around. I figured I could help people while looking for who got dragged with." Finas sighs.

"Sorry. I had to know." He hands Lloyd a metal folder. "We have our marching orders..." Finas' voice now has a depressed tone. "We move out tomorrow." Lloyd takes it, still staring at them. He flicked it open and read.

"..." The glow subsided. "Don't do that again, thanks." Lloyd says, voice somewhat cold. "If you touch my wings, I'll get a wad full of your memories crammed into my head, and you'll get the same from me. I reacted quick, so you didn't. Just don't do it again." Fedrock still looks lost. It's almost comical. Finas nods.

"That's fine. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He turns to leave.

"Don't tell anyone." Lloyd says it very quickly.

"I swear on my honor as a knight." Finas replies dully.

Lloyd stares at him, then at Fedrock. "I know you didn't poke them out, but, you too."

"Fine, yeah. I won't tell." He watches after Finas. "I've never seen him like this."

"I'm sure there's some sort of 'I just saw something that's bigger than my understanding should go' explanation for his actions." Lloyd says. "I know I've had some of those."

"Maybe...But he seems a hell of a lot different..." He sighs. "It's harder on the families. He probably wants to know he can have someone he can trust..."

"He's doing it weirdly." Lloyd frowns, shedding his coat. "... I have mending to do now." He picks up the fallen carving and tool.

"Finas is a weird one." Nylen says, eyeing Lloyd. "You're really an angel?"

"I don't have a halo and bless people, if that's what you're thinking." Lloyd sticks his hand through the cut in his coat. "But I have the wings, and the altered magics and senses. And yes, I can fly."

Fedrock sighs. "Why do I always meet up with the weird ones..."

"Ha ha ha." Lloyd fake laughs. "I need to clean and pack up. Maybe say good bye to Yuri and Flynn... Although I have the feeling they'll manage to watch the brigade leave tomorrow..."

"Knowing little Flynn, he'll cling to Finas like a limpet..." Nylen looks a little misty-eyed, like he's remembering something. "We'll be stopping off at Halure." he adds.

Lloyd frowns for a second. "The town with the big tree." He then transfers the frown to Nylen. "You're also moving out?"

"Yup. Most of my new brigade are at Halure. There's a town near Dahngrest that we've been assigned to."

Lloyd frowns, tilting his head to the side. "... Caer ... Bocram...?" he scratches his nose. "At least, I think that's how it's pronounced. Only maps, for that one."

"Apparently, it's an important research facility for the Hermes Blastia."

"Huh." Lloyd more or less grunts. "I've packing to do, and I'm guessing so do you. Later." He holds his coat over his shoulder and heads for his room.

* * *

:D


	10. Leave

The next day sees Finas walking to the rendezvous point with a lump on his leg and his pack on his back. There's a group of ranked knights waiting, with their packs and strange horse mounts. Lloyd's standing off to one side, part of the group and not by the fact he is very not knight. Finas scans the ranks of knights.

"Where the hell is Fedrock?" He looks down at the lump. "And you can let go now, Flynn."

"No!" Flynn refuses and tightens his hold. There's a shadow in one of the nearby alleyways, one with almost purple hair, watching them.

"No idea." Lloyd shrugs. "Didn't see him since you gave me the orders." Finas sighs.

"If he makes us late..." He growls. He ignores Flynn for now. There's a tug on Finas' tabard. Lloyd blinks, but grins. Finas blinks. "Oh, great..." He sighs. Yuri tugs again. Finas turns around to face Yuri. Yuri pokes him.

"You better come back, old man." Yuri orders.

"I'll try." Finas says, smiling. "Now take Flynn and get going. You don't want to worry Noelle."

Yuri does grab onto Flynn's wrist. "You know if you don't, Flynn'll drown the capital 'cause he won't stop crying."

"Will not!" Flynn protests.

"Make sure you don't." He sighs, crouching down on level with Flynn. "If I don't come back, I want you to take care of mom for me, okay?"

"You're gunna come back!" Flynn insists.

"I'll try." Finas promises again. The knight's expression is weird, as though he's holding back something. Flynn sniffles. Yuri knows what he's holding back.

"Be a man!" Yuri makes a fake deep voice - rather like Fedrock's, actually, and jabs him in the ribs.

Finas smirks. "Yuri's right. You're the man of the house while I'm gone." Flynn sniffles again, and does his best. His face looks funny like that.

"What about me?" Yuri frowns.

"Backup, of course." Finas says.

"No ratwiggles shall enter!" Yuri proclaims. Flynn manages to smile at Yuri, and with the loosening of Flynn's death-grip on Finas, Yuri pulls him away. Although, he does pause. "... Do you wanna stay to see them out of Zaiphas?" Yuri asks.

Finas grabs both boys in a hug. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, huh? Both of you."

Yuri wriggles. "Never do anythin' stupid." He mutters.

"Do to."

"Do not."

"And stop that, too." Finas says firmly. Fedrock stumbles up, looking very rough.

"He started it." Yuri mutters.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"DRUNK!" Yuri points at Fedrock.

"Am not." Fedrock mutters.

"Are too!" Yuri nods.

Fedrock merely stares at Yuri. "Streetrat."

"Bob." Yuri gives him a bland look.

"Whatever."

Finas sighs. "Fedrock... Why?"

"Felt like it."

"If you fall off your horse, I'm riding over you." Finas grumbles.

"I won't fall off my horse." He indicates the straps hidden on his boots with a smirk.

Finas sighs. "Fine. I give Lloyd permission to throw pebbles at you when you slump over."

"What about me?" Lloyd blinks from petting the horse.

"You get to be on Fedrock duty." He says, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the hung-over captain. "Ok you two." Finas turns back to the boys. Yuri makes overly solemn expression to show he's paying attention while Flynn scrubs his nose. "Promise not to get into trouble?" Yuri blinks but doesn't say no, and Flynn nods emphatically. Yuri gives a slow nod as well.

"Okaaaayyy.." Lloyd drags it out. Yuri snickers. It seems he and Flynn decided to stay until the knights were out of the gate.

Finas climbs into his saddle whilst Nylen straps himself into his. "Goin' to Halure, remember?"

"That's north, past the forest, or through the plains." Lloyd tilts his head as he pulls himself up. "... How do you steer these?"

"...You've never ridden a horse before?" Finas asks, deadpan.

"I had a dog a bit smaller." Lloyd says. "A really smart dog that could respond to verbal directions..." Lloyd frowned at Finas. "Alexei never bothered to get me to learn, and I had no idea I needed to ask."

"Dogs are awesome..." Is the mumbles comment from Nylen.

"Alright." Finas points at a Lieutenant. "You, come over here." The man approaches, a sullen look on his face. "And wipe that look off your face. Lloyd is here for a perfectly good reason."

Lloyd blinks. "I have the feeling it's these things. I've ridden a dragon before, and it had these..." Lloyd lightly touches the reigns. "But Dragons are different than horses."

"But he's guild scum, sir..." The lieutenant throws a filthy look at Lloyd.

"No, he's not. You think Commandant Alexei would let a guild member be my second-in-command?"

"I'm not in a guild, I'm not a knight, and I'm not an imperial citizen." Lloyd says, tilting his head like he was reciting something. Given the general attitude of the knights, he likely had said this before. "I was raised without knowledge of the empire or many other things you all take for granted. So, I'm probably the most unbiased person you'll ever meet on those things." His eyes narrowed a bit. "And I don't like discrimination."

"S-Sorry, sir." The Lieutenant directs this more to Lloyd than Finas.

Lloyd blinks. "No, it's.. fine. Just ... I don't like it. Too many people die that way." He grimaces, then brightens, covering it up with a grin. "So, how do I do this?" The Lieutenant shows Lloyd how to sit, how to grab the reins and all that Equine rubbish. "thanks." Lloyd grins at him again.

Finas glances at where Yuri and Flynn are before straightening a bit. "Right, let's move out." The knights respond as one, lining their horse-critters up and ranked and all that niceties. Lloyd just kinda sits on his, planning on taking tail after the group. "Lloyd, ride up front, I wanna talk..." Finas says motioning with his hand.

"Right." It takes Lloyd a moment to completely figure out just how much he needs to heel the horse into heading faster, and even then he ends up overshooting Finas with a startled expression. Fedrock looks deadpan at this.

Finas sighs. "Let's move..."

Lloyd looks sheepish as he had stopped his horse and waited for them. "Think I got it figured out."

"Good. Think you can fight from horseback?" Lloyd tilts his head and crosses his arms. His horse stops. He frowns and gets it to keep going.

"Well.. Magic, maybe. Swords.. not so sure. Flamberge and Vorpal Edge are a little... elemental. I don't know how the horse'd react."

"True." Finas admits and chucks a rock off Fedrock. He slumps, snorting, blinking sleepily.

".. .well, a little more than a little." Lloyd says, tilting his head. "I could try, but I'd rather attempted in a ... controlled environment first." his horse attempts to slow for a snack, and he nudges it back into keeping pace with Finas. "And get better control of the horse."

Finas smirks. "Its gonna be a pain. Mounting and dismounting all the time. Use the limiter when casting.

"Right, right..." Lloyd pats his pocket. "No blowing things up, gotcha."

* * *

And here we get further away from Yuri and Flynn and cuteness and into the adult life of our crazy minds and the lack of ANY SORT OF INFORMATION WE GET ABOUT THE GREAT WAR.

or maybe i haven't been watching the right walkthroughs.

oh well. :D


	11. War: Mounted Combat

And we're in the fighting now :D

And we have another co-author. Or, this is when the third co-author gets in. Lethargic Insomniac joins into the plot now :D

* * *

"Monsters." Lloyd mumbles to Finas.

"I see 'em. And there's a shitload..." He grumbles.

"Does that mean I don't need to use the limiter?" Lloyd asks hopefully, although he does already have it in his hand.

Finas hands Lloyd a new one. "Anything up to _Spiral Flare_. Don't overcharge the novices."

"_Spiral Flare, Spiral Flare_..." Lloyd frowns. ".. .That's on level with _Eruption_... _Explode_... and _Flame Lance_, isn't it..." Lloyd's tapping his fingers on the red and gold hilt. He blinks then turns about. "Monsters! A butt load of them!" he rides back around shouting this. Finas and Nylen draw their swords. Fedrock looks sober.

"S-Sir, there's about 50 monsters." A knight reports to Finas. "They seem low-level, but there may be too many."

"Aha! I know one!" Lloyd starts glowing with a pale blue white.

"Burning furnace incinerate the enemies standing before me..." Finas is casting a fire. "Die! _Spiral Flare_!" The spell charges before firing a beam of fire and rock, eliminating about 15 monsters.

"Let's see if I can get this right on a spell I didn't practice!" Lloyd says, again like a chant without it actually being one, and throws his hand out. "_Freeze Lancer_!" This spell looks a tiny bit over charged, given the fact that the shards of ice were about as big as blades rather than arrows. Finas flinches as the spell soars over his head. Fedrock leads a charge of the swords and lances. Lloyd is distracted by his horse, who doesn't want to stay still. "I don't know how to do that, so stay put, thanks!" he grumbles to his horse as he stops working on spells. the other mages give him weird looks and cast more fire and dark spells. Lloyd hisses under his breath and maneuvers his horse away from the dark-casting mages.

"Strange power unleashed! Cast my enemies into a pit of nightmareish despair! _Violent Pain_!" Finas casts the high level dark spell. Lloyd yelps, letting go of the reigns to cover his face. Of course, at the same moment, his horse got it into its head that its rider didn't know what the hell he was doing, and reared. The result was that Lloyd tumbled off onto his back, and his horse pranced away from him. "Sorry." Finas says, offering to lift Lloyd onto his own horse. Lloyd blinks at him. There're violet marks on his face.

"You planning on casting any more dark?" he asks seriously, lightly touching his face and grimacing while he gets up.

"Not the high level ones." Finas is panting, visibly tired.

"Here." Lloyd passes him an orange gel, and takes up his offer of a ride. "This is a moderate, moral boosting Light." He eyes Finas. "Don't make any comments about me singing... _Holy Song_." the two words were actually the key for the song, and then Lloyd starts singing. There's a magic moral boost, some minor healing and turquoise feathers that cling to cracks in armor or wounds that didn't cover. Finas chews on the orange gel and shivers slightly at the unearthly singing. Lloyd's burns slowly heal as he keeps singing. Several of the knights are giving him weird looks, but since they aren't taking as much from the hits they take, they ignore his oddities in favor of monster extermination.

"_Lone Wolf Charge_!" Fedrock is fighting down numerous monsters, at once, by himself. The monsters, when whittled down in numbers to a handful, turn tail and run. Fedrock is coated in monster blood, panting. Many of the men who followed him are in a similar position. All in all, they lost one man. Who shot himself in the foot... And so Lloyd stops singing, and sighs.

"I think I need a drink." Lloyd's voice cracks.

"What do you have in mind?" Nylen says, wiping blood from his face. He has a youthful glint in his eyes.

Lloyd stares at him. "I wasn't thinking of alcohol."

"Neither was I..." Nylen says, frowning. He pulls a bloodied water skin from his belt, handing it to Lloyd. Lloyd blinks, looking a bit confused as he takes the water skin. He's still got a few of those purple-y burns on his face, but they aren't as vivid.

He wipes it off a bit, and takes a drink. "Thanks."

Nylen blinks. "Jeez...What happened to you?"

Lloyd blinks. "I'm still burned?" he hands the water skin back before fishing in his pockets. He comes up with a blade that isn't one of his regular two, and uses it like a mirror. "Yep, still burned.. crap. Someone know _Photon_?"

Finas looks shifty. "I do."

"Hit me with it." Lloyd says, sheathing the blade and re-pocketing it. He seems to have those fancy 'you can shove a lot of shit in this' pockets.

Finas jumps from his horse, starting to cast. "Oh, blessed light, cast the evil from these sinners..."

"Wait, you're doing...What?" Fedrock yelps, panicking.

"It's fine." Lloyd shrugs, standing there with his thumbs in his pockets. The other knights are half watching, and half picking up after the battle. Lloyd's horse was reclaimed, as well.

"Flee from the light! _Proton_!" Finas casts the spell onto Lloyd. Lloyd twitches but otherwise stays put. the purple burns eat some of the light about him, then fade. After a moment or two, he steps out of the spell.

"That's good, thanks." Many of the knights are staring at him strangely now. Finas and Fedrock are looking a bit uncomfortable at the stares. "It makes sense, dun it?" Lloyd stretches and scratches the back of his head. "Dark burns, so light should heal 'em, 'cause light and dark are opposites." Lloyd nods, and then distracts himself by eyeing his horse. "You need to behave."

"It's not that." Finas takes Lloyd away from the others. "Can you tone down the weirdness?"

"Weirdness, weirdness..." Lloyd mumbles. "Oh, the strange spells and talking to things and methods of healing?" Lloyd thinks. "I can heal the burns on my own time, I guess... but then I'd be walking about with them for longer..." Finas looks back. There are many knights with injuries.

"I'm sure that's not a problem."

"Violet burns aren't a problem?" Lloyd blinks.

"Lots of people have injuries."

"Oookay.." Lloyd blinks. "Personally, I still think purple burns are weird, but..."

"So is absorbing magic..."

"I wasn't absorbing the magic." Lloyd crosses his arms. "I was using the Light-oriented Aer to dispel the Dark-oriented Aer that was clinging to me and making the burns. I didn't gather, or keep any of that, more like... let it shower on me and wash away the other kind. It only looks like I absorb it because it barely hurts."

"Yeah. That's weird." Fedrock points out.

"Really?" Lloyd blinks. "I thought it was like using water to put out fire."

"..." Finas and Fedrock look at each other.

"Fine, fine, I'll do my best not to do stuff like that." Lloyd peers at them. "... Although, if I manage to find my dad, it's... going to get weirder."

"That..." Finas turns away. "Doesn't surprise me."

"Some things will." Lloyd mutters, but he's facing the horse now. "So!" he turns about again, smiling. "What do we do now?"

"Go to Halure." Fedrock comments simply.

"... Okay." Lloyd shrugs. "Uh. Should I offer healing?" he scratches the back of his head. "Or is that weird too?" The captains should have the feeling that this is going to be something Lloyd will ask often. Finas sighs. Lloyd frowns at him. "You want me to tone down 'weirdness' so, I need to know what's weird and what's not, cause I'm not sure what you think is weird."

"Fine. Just ask." Finas sounds deadpan, climbing on his horse.

"I'm going to take that as a 'ask if anyone wants healing'." Lloyd says, and wanders over to do so. Finas sets his horse into a trot, helping those who need help. Seems the knight has a compliment of healing gels. Lloyd heals a little, but more Knights head to the mage-knights with healing spells.

Finas waits for everyone to be healed. "Right. There's a sheltered site a little bit further, we can rest there." there's muttered chorus of agreement to his statement, and they remount and Lloyd's better with his horse this time. They move out to a covered cave in the edge of the mountain-face. And Lloyd manages to stay on his horse the entire time, much to his look of triumph. They set up camp. Lloyd pulls his pack out of his pocket, which definitely couldn't fit there, and then a bedroll from his pack that might have fit if nothing else was in there. The pack goes back into his pocket.

"..." Finas sighs. "That's a weird thing."

"Really?" Lloyd blinks. "That's bizarre. I've always had pockets like these. The tag calls them 'pocket of holding'."

"We mustn't have invented them yet." Finas says.

Nylen cuffs him. "Stop warping space-time."

"That's bad." Lloyd nods. "Screwing with space-time is very bad. Origin would be very displeased. I'll work about it then." he puts his pack on his back instead of on his pocket.

"..." Finas disappears into the gloom of the cave to explore. Lloyd looks a little at a loss about what to do he so sits by his horse and watches confusedly. The knights, however, do know what to do, and are setting up neat sleeping areas and starting cook fires and getting the lottery system for night watch ready.

Fedrock groans, drawing night watch. "Dammit..." He mutters.

"So... What should I do?" Lloyd asks Fedrock. "Cause... uh.. Not exactly... part of the group, so..." Lloyd grimaces.

"Uh." He looks about for Finas. "Help cook?"

"All right." Lloyd brightens and wanders over to the cook fires to help.

Finas appears, dripping slightly with blood. "A few bats. Nothing hard." Lloyd's helping them make stew. There is the sound of clanking behind them. All the knights have weapons drawn and pointed. Lloyd included, but he's the non-knight.

A decorated Knight with brown hair and a unique orange uniform holds up his arms in mock surrender. "I give up."

"..." Finas looks the man up and down. "Captain Damuron, correct?"

"Pretty sure." Lloyd straightens, frowning thoughtfully. "Only seen him from afar but... That'd be weird so I won't explain."

Damuron looks at Lloyd. "Damuron Atomais, First Captain of the Imperial Knights. And you are?"

"Lloyd Aurion, not Knight, not Guild, currently something the lines of... 'potential knight but insanely stubborn on refusing'." Lloyd shrugs.

"Commandant Alexei said your brigade would be joining with ours..." Finas says.

Nylen nudges Finas whispering "Did he?" Damuron nods at Lloyd, then turns to Finas.

"Yes, the Commandant sent my brigade to join with yours." He looks around. "They're here somewhere."

A long whine of "Captaaaaaain" sounds from outside. "Waaaaaait."

Finas steps forward. "Captain Finas Scifo. It's an honor, sir." He salutes. Damuron nods, but stays put until more men in orange-themed uniforms reach them. It looks like that brigade is on foot, and most of them not quite in the shape that Damuron himself was. Or perhaps Damuron had left earlier at a walk and his brigade had to book it. They also seemed to be a bit mismatched, and very varied in size. Lloyd blinks, then turns back to cooking, as they now had more to feed. Fedrock walks up.

"Captain Nylen Fedrock, sir!" He fakes too much effort at it, wanting to see Damuron's reaction at the near-mocking greeting.

Damuron nods. "Nice to see you're enthusiastic." He turns to direct his brigade into settling about theirs. Lloyd's staring at the pot as if he was wishing it would spontaneously multiply.

"I like him." Nylen comments.

"So does most of his brigade." Lloyd mutters, wandering back. He'd been kicked from cooking duty as some of Damuron's men started to do aid. "So what do I do now?" His hands are in his pockets.

"Everything seems to have been taken care of for now." Finas says looking over the camp.

"... So that means... nothing." Lloyd deflates. "Ok."

Finas shrugs. "Sorry." Damuron looks around, then decides it's slightly awkward. He goes for the food. Finas and Fedrock sit somewhere, back to back, both smoking at their pipes.

Lloyd lies there on his bedroll, staring at the cave ceiling. "... Hey, Nylen." Lloyd gets up and stares at the captain. "Lemme take night shift." Damuron waves away several of his brigade, moving to the mouth of the cave to take night watch as well. The rest of the brigade sleep as only soldiers who have been on the move all day can.

Nylen looks up from a book he was reading. "Why?"

"Because I'm bored." Lloyd mumbles.

"Why don't we both take it, then? I already drank 6 cups of coffee."

Damuron looks around "What is that smell?"

"Coffee, sir." mutters one of the tired brigade. "We don't let you have it."

Lloyd blinks. "Okay then." he migrates over to Fedrock and Damuron and sits down. It doesn't take him long to pull out a chunk of wood and start carving again.

Fedrock is still reading. "Bored..." He mutters.

Damuron looks at Lloyd and Fedrock. "Okay. I guess we're sharing watch." He puts his hands behind his head and kicks his legs out. "First watch is the best. You never get woken up in the middle of the night."

Lloyd throws a wood shaving at Fedrock. "Mmhm." He agrees with Damuron. And Nylen retorts by throwing a rock back.

Damuron watches this exchange and yawns. "...So..." Lloyd catches the rock and tosses it away.

"Sooo...?" Lloyd asks.

"..." Nylen yawns. "Wanna spar?"

Damuron looks up innocently. "Who, me?"

Lloyd blinks rapidly. "Uhhh... Probably."

"Well, I'm certainly not fighting Lloyd."

"Why not?"

"I have a problem with magic control." Lloyd grins.

"He nearly killed me and Finas."

"That's the best kind of sparring...for...new captains." He looks away

"I went overboard." Lloyd grins. Nylen stares blankly at Damuron and Lloyd.

Damuron stands up and stretches. "I haven't really gotten much exercise today." A still awake soldier rolls his eyes. He walks just outside of the cave.

Lloyd shoves Nylen with his foot, grinning. "You asked." Nylen stands, grabbing his sword. Damuron fingers his red sword and looks at them lazily. Fedrock just has his plain sword. "No Strike Artes or magic sound good?"

Damuron looks at him. "...No magic, sure, but what am I supposed to practice if we don't use Strike Artes?" Lloyd watches, amused with his whittling.

"...Okay. Base Artes. No Arcanes."

Damuron shrugs. "Whatever you want." he launches into a rapid series of sword strikes. Just like Dancing.

Fedrock reacts. "_Ghost Wolf_!" He still gets hit by a few of the strikes.

"I'm just going to sit here until it looks like you need healing..." Lloyd says, carving absently. For all he's not watching what he's doing, he's not doing badly. Damuron jumps to the side of the _Ghost Wolf _and strikes towards Fedrock, glancing at Lloyd. Fedrock gets knocked to the ground by the blow.

He gets to his feet, whirling around. "_Destruction Field_!"

Raven flips backward, but his feet catch the edge of the field. "Hot," he notes. He surges forward. "_Violet Weasel_!"

Fedrock attempts to attack back. "_Azure Edge_!" Damuron flips behind Lloyd as the _Azure Edge_ comes straight towards them. Lloyd blinks, looks up and gets knocked back. His head hits Damuron's shins as he falls over.

"... Ow." Lloyd mutters, oh so very enthusiastically.

"...Sorry." Damuron shrugs. Lloyd stares blandly up, and puts his carving and tools in his pockets.

"All right then." He jumps to his feet from lying on his back and grabs his blades. "I guess I'm part of this now?" Fedrock backs off, looking a bit scared.

Damuron looks at Lloyd. "Why do I suddenly feel the urge to run?"

"No idea." Lloyd's grinning. "_Lightning Tiger Blade_!" The Material Blades are out and he doesn't exactly try to hit.

Damuron dodges and frowns. "Is that even a base arte?" Fedrock is still backing off, still looking worried.

"Well, it's an Altered Base." Lloyd shrugs. Damuron keeps backing up, then rolls to the side and strikes upwards.

"Oh, Resplendant..._Mystic Drive_!" A cry comes from the sidelines. A seal forms under the three, lifting them up into the air before dumping them on the ground.

"Oi, oi! Cheating!" Lloyd points as he sits up. "You can't join in like that!"

Damuron sprawls on his side. "I thought we made RULES."

"I never said to wake the entire camp." It's Finas. And he's been woken by the sparring and not best pleased.

Damuron spares a look towards the cave. "Oops."

"... I only said two things..." Lloyd mutters.

"It was you who woke me." Finas says to Lloyd. Lloyd makes a very mature face at him. Damuron snickers. A rock gets thrown out of the cave and hits him in the back of the head.

Someone yells, "We heard you too Captain!" Fedrock says nothing.

"Get in the cave." Finas says. And one shouldn't disobey a pissed off, sleep-deprived mage-knight.

"Hai, hai..." Lloyd gets up and picks up his blades and heads in.

Damuron rubs the back of his head. "Don't throw things at your captain's head!"

"Wear a helmet!"

"..."

"That means you two, too." He points at Damuron and Fedrock. Fedrock hops to it.

Damuron stomps into the cave. "I'm too tired for watch now." He steps on the toes of a sleeping soldier. "Your turn!" Lloyd laughs a little, sitting just inside the cave mouth and carving again. Damuron slips out of his boots and picks one more solider to keep watch. He selects this man by falling onto him and shoving him off the bedroll.

"Captain! Use your own bedroll!"

"I forgot it. Go keep watch!" Lloyd's covering his mouth to try to stop from laughing. It's not really working.

"Shut up!" Finas' voice rings out. "Next person to make a noise other than snoring will regret it!" Damuron kicks the solider he woke up, who scowls at him but gets up and goes to keep watch anyways. Lloyd firmly focuses on carving again. It's starting to look like a familiar human now.

* * *

Blaze/Leon is of the opition that Fedrock and Yuri share Artes, as they are passed through the Blastia or something like that.


	12. War: Race

Finas stretches, hunting about for his boots. Fedrock looks red-eyed and shaky from caffeine intake. Damuron sits up, looking well-rested. The soldiers around him roll their eyes.

"Who has my breakfast?"

"Make it yourself!" Lloyd's got a small pile of wood shavings, and the way he's leaning against the wall seems to imply he's asleep.

Finas frowns at Damuron, but then shrugs it off, spotting Fedrock. "...Did you sleep at all?" Fedrock shakes his head. "...Why?"

"T-Too M-Much C-C-Coffee."

Damuron looks curiously at Fedrock. "Can I try some?" An orange-wearing soldier shakes his head rapidly at Fedrock.

Another comments. "No. Captain. Just No."

Fedrock blinks. "Uh...I drank it all?" There's fervent nodding from Damuron's troops. Lloyd shifts, and turns back about.

"What's this about coffee?" he rubs his eyes like he had been sleeping. There's now a pair of knight figures in his hand. Damuron goes about stealing bits of other people's breakfasts. Finas is eating his own breakfast whilst trying to force Fedrock to eat.

Lloyd blinks, eyeing Damuron over a roll of bread with a wedge of cheese shoved into it. "No, you're not getting it."

Damuron shrugs. "I already finished."

There's a loud "HEY" from the back of the cave. Damuron whistles and starts ordering people around. In a matter of minutes the entire brigade is ready to move out. Finas gets his men ready in the same fashion. Fedrock looks ill. Lloyd blinks, picking up his stuff and shoving it into his backpack-sack, and waits next to his horse.

"Don't puke on me." Lloyd tells Fedrock. "If you do, I'll return the favor sometime." One of Damuron's bridge is looking at Lloyd's horse.

"Where are our horses, Captain?"

"Horses?"

"Yes."

"I think some are being sent to Halure." There are general sighs of relief that they won't have to go the whole way on foot. Lloyd looks like he might say something, but glances at Finas, then Damuron, then Finas again, and says nothing. Finas mounts his own, Fedrock managing to eat some bread and cheese.

Damuron raises his eyebrows at Lloyd. "Something to say?"

"Hmmm..." Lloyd tilts his head back and forth a bit. "Not really." He eyes the horse a bit distrustfully. "I think." Nylen throws up over the other side of his horse. Damuron chuckles. Most of his brigade are looking at the horses enviously. They seem ready to go anyways. Lloyd gets on his horse, and glares at the back of its head. "Behave." The horse whinneys as though to say "Bite me." Damuron walks in front of Lloyd's horse. It rubs its head against his back.

He turns around. "Good boy. Be nice to the dangerous swordsman or he'll fry your tail." The horse looks confused.

Lloyd grins. "Thanks."

"Stop scaring the horses." Finas says, trotting over on his own.

"It wasn't on purpooose." Lloyd mutters. "If I scared you, I'm sorry." Lloyd tells the horse. Damuron starts walking at a brisk pace. The rest of his brigade keep pace easily.

One of his soldiers comes up along side of him. "Please don't run ahead this time, Captain."

"I would never do that." Finas sighs. Fedrock still looks the wrong shade of green.

Lloyd tells him that. "Then again, I've never seen the right shade of green." Damuron is slowly increasing the pace, this does not go unnoticed. Finas notices the increase in speed and spurs his horse on faster. Lloyd manages to keep up with them. Damuron seems to be thinking about starting to run. He turns around and marches backwards, looking inquiringly at his brigade.

"Don't even think about it."

"Don't even think about it, CAPTAIN."

Finas tenses slightly. "Looks like we're gonna have a riot, soon..."

"Spells?" Lloyd asks. "Not that I know any support or delibating spells, but..."

Fedrock lifts his head. "I have a slow time spell." Damuron pretends not to hear this, and turns back around to walk normally.

One of his soldiers looks over at Fedrock and Finas. "We can keep pace with him. Usually."

"Until he starts sprinting, I'm guessing..." Lloyd seems to be having enough trouble making his horse follow the rest and not snack. Fedrock throws up again. Finas hands him more food.

"I'm Yeager, by the way. Nice to meet you both."

Damuron is looking at Fedrock. "Makes me wonder how bad it is when you're hungover..."

"..." Lloyd stares at Nylen. "... not as bad, if i remember right. Unless that wasn't as hung over as he can get."

"Captain Fedrock is used to being hungover. Recovering from a caffeine high...? Another matter." A soldier pipes up. Damuron is rifling around in his uniform.

"Aha!" he pulls out one of those metal envelopes and takes out a few documents, reading them over as he walks briskly.

Yeager looks at him, exasperated. "You were supposed to read those before we left."

"..." Fedrock and Finas both exchange looks. Lloyd grins a little.

"He's funny." he tells his horse.

"Funny lookin'." Fedrock mutters at Lloyd.

Damuron looks back. "I heard that." He finishes reading and tucks the folder back inside his uniform. "We're getting a transfer at Halure." he looks slightly off put by this.

"No doubt with the rest of Nylen's troops." Finas comments.

"Huh." Lloyd starts to cross his arms behind his head, then remembers to keeps his hands on the reigns. "... Horses are complicated." Lloyd's horse whinny's again. Damuron mumbles something.

Yeager sighs. "The Captain dislikes it when troops are assigned to him. He likes to find them himself."

"Hard to find good volunteers, however." Finas says.

"Mmm." Lloyd feels like he doesn't have anything to add to that, since he's sort of a volunteer that just never went knightly. He figures out that if he holds the wood with the hand on the reigns, he can attempt to carve. Damuron watches Lloyd's horse. It's eyes gleam at the chance, and it bucks. Fedrock looks better and face palms. Lloyd yelps and manages to cling on. "Crazy creatures." Lloyd mutters, staying like that for a moment more than necessary. Damuron snickers.

"How far to Halure?" asks one of his brigade.

Fedrock ties Lloyd's horse to his own. "Not too far. 'nother half a day."

"Thanks." Lloyd mutters, glaring at his horse.

Damuron stops dead in his tracks. "Monsters." Lloyd perks up. Finas swears under his breath.

"Monsters!" He calls back, drawing his sword. Damuron makes a few hand motions, his brigade forms an arc with Yeager at his left and Damuron at the point. A bee thing swoops down at them.

Damuron skewers it and shakes the corpse off his sword. "Be alert. We don't know how many there are."

"Intermediate only?" Lloyd asks, glancing at Finas. "Or should I jump off and kill things that way?"

"Intermediate Only." Finas agrees, starting to cast himself. Damuron's brigade stays very calm, albeit tensed. He is making quick hand movement to the left flank and giving orders to Yeager. The brigade splits into two units.

"Get your winter coats on, cause it's gunna get cold!" Lloyd shouts, his words in a chant pattern despite not really being what most would call a casting chant. "_Ice Tornado_!" the whirling tornado shredded through a part of the trees and grew colored with monster fluids.

"Shine, oh majestic light!" Finas poses. "_Photon_!" Damuron's group flanks the right side of the monsters, and Yeager's falls to the left. Damuron cuts a swath through the monsters, using Artes. His magic users stay slightly back, covered by a swordsman. Lloyd's horse decides its had enough of Mr Magic User Who Doesn't Know How To Ride, and dumps him. Lloyd loses a spell that flitted purple about him.

"Fine." He draws both of his blades and darts to the monsters, giving up on magic for now. He's not using very many Artes. Fedrock has long since dismounted and is spamming _Destruction Field_. One of the knights in Yeager's group stumbles back as an axe beak hammers at him. Damuron's eyes flick over towards the knight, who is quickly engulfed by other monsters. Damuron shouts orders at his healer who preps a spell, then darts into the mob. Finas is fighting off some monsters from his own healers. Lloyd looks between the two, and _Blazing Tempest_'s his way over to the one with the higher monster to visible knight ratio.

"I have an intermediate spell that's really good for surrounded situations." Lloyd's grinning as he slices through monsters. Damuron has thrown the wounded knight over his shoulder and darted out of the mob.

"Go ahead." He waves at Lloyd. The healer who prepped his spell casts on the wounded knight, who nods his thanks. Damuron's flank and Yeager's meet, having circled around the main horde.

"There's quite a few." Yeager comments.

Finas starts glowing. "Casting now. _Blade Roll_!" A huge sword spawns, slicing into the monsters surrounding him.

"Don't worry if your hair stands up!" Lloyd shouts, again like a chant as he jumped into the highest concentration of monsters, violet arcing off him. "_Master Field_!" A large blueish-white-purple seal expands from under his feet as he brings his blades up to block. Lightning crackles and arcs all about, striking from nowhere and then arcing into monsters if for some reason it hadn't hit one landing. Damuron notices the monster numbers beginning to dwindle.

"Fire spells and Artes, finish them off. V pattern." His brigade form a V with Damuron at the point. His mages start spamming Fireballs. Finas does the same, only his seem more in number and more powerful. Lloyd wisely gets back. Damuron lets Yeager take point, then keeps the monsters off of his men, sword whipping through the air. Finally it seems like most of them are dead. Lloyd mutters first aid to himself, grinning despite the cuts that were healing. Finas pulls out an orange gel, sharing it between himself and a healer. Damuron designates two lookouts, then goes to check out the damage on his brigade, it's not much to worry about, and his healer is taking care of the minor injuries. Lloyd pats himself down, as if to make sure he didn't need anymore healing, before going about to offer his slightly overcharged _First Aid _to people. Most go for the actual healer-knights. Finas helps where he can, semi-proficient in healing Artes. Damuron is cleaning his sword, having assured himself that there are no major injuries. One knight seems to be cleaning monster gunk off of himself, which he claims hit him because of someone's tornado. Lloyd pretends to not have heard that, working on getting frozen monster stuff off his Vorpal Edge. It involves some funny sitting and using Flamberge to melt carefully.

Fedrock has returned to a slightly more normal color, coated in monster gunk himself. "I need to wash when we get to Halure."

Damuron has somehow remained spotless, although he too is cleaning his sword, with a small look of disgust. "Once this stuff dries it never comes off..."

"Can't say I usually have that problem." Lloyd's almost done with the cleaning of Vorpal. "... I get a different one..." He gets the last bit off, checks them both and finds his horse again. His horse is gone. "... crap." Finas starts glowing.

"Oh, caprice of innocent waters... _Champagne_!" Finas casts lemon scented water at Fedrock. Although it may sting, the older knight is cleaned.

Damuron looks sideways at them. "Who wants to try that?" Several knights look away from him.

Lloyd blinks. "I've seen _Fireball _used for cooking, but never a water spell used for cleaning." Fedrock yelps as it stings. Finas sighs.

Damuron is rallying the tired brigade. "Come on, Halure isn't that far away, then we can make camp and start making fun of our new recruit." He's ready to go.

"Hoooorse. Where are you?" Lloyd's not actually calling it, but he is looking around for the one that was 'his'. "If you have a name, I'm sorry, but they didn't tell me it, so I can't call you by it... Hoooooorse."

"I think he's in for a surprise." Fedrock smirks.

"How so?"

"I snuck a look at the transfers before I left." Damuron shoves an orange gel in his healer's mouth, who glares at him. Yeager looks over at Fedrock and raises his eyebrows. Lloyd's still looking at all the horses that don't have knights standing next to them, or are standing well behaved. Fedrock glances at Yeager, smiling lightly. "Halure is another few miles. We'd better get going."

Yeager shrugs. "I'd better make sure the Captain eats a few gels. He always goes heavy on the Artes." He wanders back over muttering something like "_Just like Dancing_...who has Artes like that..."

Lloyd's frowning. "I can't find the horse." He scowls at some dead monsters.

"That's because he's still tied to mine" Fedrock brings the two horses over.

"But I looked there!" Lloyd protests.

Damuron dodges Yeager, who is trying to get him to eat gels. "Maybe you just shouldn't ride the horse. You look like you could keep up on foot." Lloyd looks like he agrees, but watches Finas. Fedrock climbs on his own. Finas shrugs, but gives the twinblade a look.

Lloyd looks like he's thinking. "Who's still sort'a hurt?" Lloyd asks Damuron.

Damuron shrugs "Not really anyon-ohhhhh" He gives Lloyd a knowing look, then goes to find the one knight who got buried in the monster heap. "You get a horse because you're wounded!"

"Captain I'm fine no-"

"GET ON THE HORSE!"

"Until Halure." Lloyd nods.

"I don't care, you know. Just... No funny stuff." Finas comments. Lloyd gives him the "I have no idea what you're talking about, 'funny stuff'" look. Damuron walks next to Lloyd. Finas sighs, pulling himself into his saddle.

Fedrock pats Lloyd's horse. "His name is Eugene, by the way."

"...How come you know this, but they didn't tell me?" Lloyd asks, frowning a little as he walks. Damuron has started subtly increasing the pace again. Halure is visible in the distance, although it's still a ways off.

"Because he was my horse and I forgot."

"..." Lloyd just gives Fedrock a look. He's absently keeping up with Damuron, just matching his speed. Damuron keeps getting a little faster. The knight on Eugene is waving to his fellow brigade members, who scowl back.

Finas looks grumpy. "Always the weirdos." He mumbles, not meant to be heard by anyone. Lloyd just matches Damuron. He pretends to not have heard Finas, after all, no funny things.

Damuron looks sideways at Lloyd, then whispers. "Race?" Fedrock catches the whisper, but not what was said. He frowns. Lloyd blinks, then grins a little. He raises three fingers between them, then takes one down. Damuron grins too, facing forward so no one notices and watching Lloyd out of the corner of his eye.

Yeager blinks. "My Captain sense is tingling"

"So is my Lloyd one. A disturbance in the Aer." Finas says, looking at Yeager.

Lloyd blinks, glancing back. "I know Yuan's said that Dad's got 'Lloyd senses', but I didn't know you could get them that quickly." the second finger goes down.

Finas blinks. "Damn!" He starts casting.

Damuron is gesturing at the Tree of Halure. "Would you look at that. We're almost there." Yeager looks at Finas, then at Damuron. Damuron looks at Lloyd. Lloyd drops the last finger and makes a fist, raising it for a moment and darting ahead. Damuron sprints after him, still grinning.

"Hurry up! Somebody's casting something!" Yeager face-palms. There are scattered chuckles from the brigade.

"_Dupla-Bind_!" A horizontal line flies after Damuron and Lloyd.

"_Guardian_!" Lloyd rolls with the blow of the spell to the back of his shield, tumbling on the ground for a bit. Damuron yells and jumps up over the line. Finas face horses. The line is attempting to latch onto the two. And its persistent. Damuron veers away from Lloyd. Lloyd gets back on his feet with twigs in his hair. "Never tried support spells before, so let's hope it actually works!" Lloyd shouts, veering away from Damuron a little as well.

Yeager doesn't bother speeding up the brigade. "He'll stop in Halure. Probably."

Finas mutters, face buried in his horse. "I give up." Eugene gives Finas a sympathy lick.

"_Dispel_!" It knocks a good chunk of the ground litter into the air, as well as the spell-line, and the stuff in Lloyd's hair. Lloyd cackles, because the spell worked, and continued running. Damuron pours on the speed, not knowing how fast Lloyd actually is.

Yeager looks on in disbelief. "He can sprint. In full armor. For extended periods of time. I don't understand."

"Blastia?" Fedrock says. Lloyd seems to just be laughing now for the sheer exuberance of running as quickly as he can. Any small hills are leaped off for the thrill of it. He's slowly pulling ahead of Damuron. Damuron scowls a little, and speeds up some more.

Yeager watches. "Lloyd...is fast." The Brigade has started a betting pool. And Finas' brigade has joined. Most of them betting Lloyd. Lloyd's just slowly getting faster, and faster, taking more leaps rather than running down or avoiding obstacles. Damuron holds his pace and watches Lloyd curiously.

Then he yells ahead. "You taking off soon or are you just bounding about for the fun of it?" this is said somewhat sarcastically, and he seems to have realized he's not going to win.

"Fun!" Lloyd shouts, although there was a startled glance back.

Finas grumbles. "This is why I wanted him to ride the damned horse, but nooo. He just HAS to show off. When we get to Halure, he is dead." Yeager hears this but pretends not to. Several men who entered the betting pool early on are grimacing.

"The Captain isn't even trying anymore!"

"He knows when he's beat."

"I'm starting to like this Lloyd guy."

"Only because he's earning you Gald!" Lloyd stops getting faster, but he still keeps leaping. Damuron keeps his steady pace, not looking winded but he doesn't seem to want to speed up more. He looks at the Tree of Halure.

Fedrock smiles. "The tree's in season." Lloyd's still running.

Yeager sighs. "I hope they both trip." Damuron stumbles but catches himself. Yeager blinks. "Trip." Damuron keeps running. "Oh well." Fedrock is patting Finas who is still face-planted into his horse. Lloyd blinks, and starts slowing down. He's rather close to Halure now. Damuron's eyes glint. He has no intention of slowing down until he's in the town. He starts to pull up closer to Lloyd. There's some sounds of panic from the betting pool. This is mainly from Finas' and Fedrock's brigades. They all start yelling at Lloyd. Lloyd attempts to turn to look and see why they were yelling, which slows him further. They are now nearly within Halure. Damuron pulls up alongside Lloyd, and seems to be just barely pulling ahead. There is loud cheering from some of Damuron's brigade, as well as some explicit words. Fedrock has secretly put 100 Gald on Lloyd to win and is looking slightly disappointed. And then Lloyd trips. He tumbles forward, and overtakes Damuron, yelping and lands flat on his back in the middle of the main street of Halure, his back on the path and his legs on the grass before the town. Damuron's face flashes with surprise briefly as one of Lloyd's legs flails and catches the backs of the knees. He trips headlong and does a somersault, then rolls and comes to a stop with his face in the grass. There is silence from the brigades. Followed by Hysterical laughter. And a loud cheering from the men who won. Nylen is smiling happily. Lloyd blinks blankly as Halure residents move outside and watch them.

Damuron gets up and spits out a mouthful of dirt morosely. Arguing quickly breaks out "The captain rolled farther!"

"The other guy hit the ground first!"

"Well where was the bloody finish supposed to be?"

"It was whoever reached Halure first. I heard 'em myself!"

"That'd be the first in the barrier! Twinblade entered it first." Damuron doesn't actually remember setting rule or a finish. Neither does Lloyd, but he's just lying there splayed out and watching the sky now.

Damuron staggers up, still spitting. He shakes out his legs. "I think you almost cracked my kneecaps." He offers his hand to Lloyd. "Good race."

Yeager chuckles. "The Captain likes him."

"They didn't set a finish." Nylen points out.

"We did." The man who took the pools states. "First to enter Halure."

"Good race!" Lloyd sounds a little out of breath as he takes Damuron's hand. His grin's trying to crack his face. "Want me to heal your knees for you?"

Damuron shrugs "Oh, I think they're fine." He take a step and his knees buckle. He collapses in a heap. "...I meant to do that." Yeager picks up the pace a bit, the brigades are almost into Halure. Nylen looks to Finas.

"I think Captain Scifo needs something to eat..." Finas doesn't look well.

"Uh. Just a sec." Lloyd says it like a chant. "_First aid!_" It's cold rather than warm, for some reason, but does the job all the same. Damuron stands , bending his stiff legs experimentally. He claps Lloyd on the shoulder then looks towards his brigade.

"What in the world is taking them so long?" Finas rides up, and drops off his horse.

"_Fountain_!" He says, delivering a strike arte based on an uppercut to Lloyd. And Lloyd's on his back again, some span back.

He rubs his jaw as he heals himself. "... You like to hit me, don't you?"

"It makes me feel better when you piss me off."

Damuron watches. "Hahaha-OWWW!" Yeager has clocked him across the back of the head. "Dammit Yeager. I could get you court marshaled for doing stuff like that."

Yeager frowns at him innocently. "Doing what?" The rest of the brigade has caught up. Lloyd gets to his feet again, dusting himself lightly off and checking his pockets to make sure nothing had fallen out. Some of the Halure towns folk are watching them amusedly.

"I saw him do nothing." Finas states, despite obviously seeing the entire thing. The brigades seem to agree.

Damuron scowls good naturedly. "Like I would ever be able to prove anything." He turns towards the tree and starts wandering. "Go pick up anything you guys need or want. Meet at the base of the tree in an hour." Damuron's brigade immediately disperses, going to get supplies and such. As does Finas' and the starter of Fedrock's.

Nylen rides up. "My estate has plenty of land and room, seeing as how most of it I converted it to barracks and parkland. We can stop there. There's room in the barracks when we fill the house." Lloyd just sort of stands there in the flurry of knight movement.

"So... what'm I supposed to do?" He scratches the back of his head. Yeager and Damuron exchanged a few words. Yeager then walks off. Damuron loops back and catches Lloyd around the shoulders.

"Ever seen the tree? Let's go. I don't actually care if you have, by the way."

Nylen smiles. "Good idea. The tree's in bloom right now." He leads the way.

"Well, I haven't. Close." Lloyd mutters, letting Damuron keep a hold on him.

They walk past someone. "Oh! Lord Fedrock! You're back."

Nylen smiles lightly. "Please. Its captain, not lord."

"Close? You've seen it in a different season maybe?" Damuron sighs elegantly and leads him forward. He leans towards Nylen. "...by the way. ...what are we supposed to do after this?" Yeager suddenly feels like hitting The Captain over the head with the metal folder he has just received

"Well, go meet the transfers. Most of my brigade are at the barracks. I'm assuming the rest of yours are there, too."

"Yeah. I've been through once when it was all green." Lloyd shrugs. "We didn't stop in at town though."

Damuron is looking at Fedrock, raising his eyebrows. "Loooord Fedrock?" he blinks "Wait. I thought I had heard your name before. In passing."

Fedrock smiles lightly. "The Fedrock's of Halure? You probably will have. My family is very famous." Nylen smirks. "But its captain when I'm in uniform." Lloyd sighs, crossing his arms behind his head, knocking Damuron's arm off his shoulder. He's eyeing the large tree roots.

Damuron blinks again and then mutters. "Probably saw you at a party. I hate parties.." He walks ahead of Lloyd and starts walking up one of the roots.

Fedrock shrugs. "They're all right. Just gotta know how to avoid the dicks and douche bags." It was hard to believe that Fedrock was a lord... He's got the title, but he has a soldier's personality.

"... Are you s'posed to walk up those?" Lloyd points at Damuron.

Damuron is trying his best to get onto a low branch. "Probably not."

"As long as you don't break anything." Finas states.

"The tree is our Barrier Blastia, after all." Nylen comments.

"Hn." Lloyd scratches behind his head. "... Wonder how long it took to get that big..." he carefully walks up to it and lightly touches the trunk. Damuron successfully clambers on top of a wide branch and puts his hands behind his head. He seems to be thinking about going to sleep.

"We got an hour, remember?" Nylen calls, a little louder than necessary.

Lloyd seems to be liking the tree. Suddenly he frowns. "... I wonder if anyone's taking care of my plants." Damuron has already dropped off, oblivious to Nylen. Yeager passes by them with a heap of small packages in his arms.

He looks up, then shrugs. "He doesn't sleep enough."

"Well, just leave him. He's not hurting." Finas comments.

Nylen nods. "C'mon. Let's get going. I'll show you the barracks."

"Ok." Lloyd shoves his hands in his pockets and turns about. One of Damuron's arms falls over the side of the branch.

Yeager walks past Lloyd. "Want to come with me to get our horses...never mind."

"All the horses will be back at the barracks." Fedrock states.

"That's... remarkably well organized." Lloyd says, blinking like he didn't expect it.

Yeager nods his thanks to Fedrock and starts walking. Then stops. "...which direction?"

"The captain's rubbing off on you!"

"I take offense to that!"

Nylen grabs Lloyd in a hug. "You sound surprised, lad! I didn't know you had low expectations of me."

"... You're hugging me." Lloyd notes awkwardly. "I was under the impression you didn't really like me..." He just goes stiff. If Damuron were awake he would have shouted 'GROUP HUG'. But Yeager just waits for them to finish. Yeager determines the location of the horses and starts walking that way.

"Now what gave you that idea? Its Finas that has a habit of disliking people." Finas ignores him.

"Uh-huh..." Lloyd doesn't look like he really believes that as he wriggles and frees himself. Damuron sleeps. Yeager is getting horses. Nylen leads them to rows of neat, well-built long single-story buildings with a large stable at the end.

"Cool." Lloyd looks at them. He looks like he's feeling really out of place.


	13. War: Transfer

Finas has wandered back to the tree, noticing that Damuron had forgotten that he was sleeping in a tree and tried to roll over. He moves to catch him, missing completely. His fall is broken by someone else, fortunately or unfortunately enough. It wasn't a comfortable landing, as said person was wearing armor, but it was better than hitting the ground first. He hit the ground anyway, of course, with a 'oomph!' from his unwitting cushion. A brunette female, unwitting cushion. Yeager is walking back and sees this. He raises his eyebrows at Finas and then winces at the clang of armor on armor.

Damuron moans and leans up on his arms. Looking down at the new knight. "..."

"Would you mind getting off me? You're heavy." She's sort of glaring at him. Finas blinks. He watches the scene unfold. Damuron blinks at her, then looks at her again, blushes slightly, and rolls off.

Yeager stands next to Finas. "He's not talking. Why isn't the Captain saying something stupid?"

"You're really heavy." The woman gets up, grimacing a little. "Do you always make dramatic entrances by knocking unsuspecting transfer knights to the ground?"

Finas looks awkwardly for a way to help. "Uh."

Damuron seems to be regaining himself a bit. "Well, normally I would have done something more impressive, but I'm afraid I was sleeping and didn't actually know you were a transfer knight."

"Wait." She frowns at him while shifting a little to test what was sore from the fall. "You're Damuron Atomais, aren't you." She doesn't sound particularly pleased.

Damuron tilts his head a little "I might be. But it's typically considered polite for you to give your own name first." He then blinks. Lloyd twitches. "You said you were a transfer Knight...?"

She sort of gives him a look. "I think politeness flew past Brave Vesperia when you fell on me out of a tree. Casey Nymos." She crossed her arms at him. "I'd think it'd be obvious I'm a knight of some sort. Or do you run into many people dressed up like this for th the laughs?"

Damuron rolls his eyes, the knight is starting to rub him the wrong way. "Which brigade?"

Yeager makes an "Uh oh" noise followed shortly by a chuckle.

"Yours." She says. "Why else would I be able to match you to a name?"

Damuron shrugs. "Nobility?" He hardly ever pulls this, and doesn't mean it in a bragging way. He turns his back on her and walks over to Yeager. "Give her the run down. I hate not being able to pick." he sighs dramatically and walks over to his assembling brigade.

"..." Finas looks rather deadpan. "Uh." He catches himself. "Don't know if you know this, but I'm Captain Finas Scifo. I'm sure you know Captain Damuron Atomais...He's a bit of a...special case."

"So my orders mentioned." Casey mutters. "That means you're Yeager." she turns to him.

Yeager nods (Lethargic Insomniac: it occurs to me he may have also had his name changed but whatever) and looks at her a bit awkwardly. "Yes. You'll have to excuse the Captain. He's used to handpicking his Knights...and he usually sleeps on the ground. Usually. Are you okay, by the way?" Finas glows yellow with a casting aura. He borrows Lloyd's unique way of chanting.

"Just in case..._First Aid_!" It works successfully. "Huh. Looks like the weirdo is right." Lloyd sneezes somewhere.

Nylen looks to Lloyd. "You okay?"

".. Yeah." Lloyd rubs his nose.

"... Thanks." Some of Casey's grumpiness is fading. Yeager smiles and motions for her to follow him over to Damuron's brigade. Some arguing has broken out. Damuron solves the problem by beaning both of the knights in the head.

Yeager looks at Casey. "You'll soon find out this isn't your typical brigade."

"That's for sure. When you're done here, feel free to come over to the house and meet Lord...I mean, Captain Nylen Fedrock and his brigade. Seeing as how we're going to be travelling together." Finas says, starting to walk off towards the stables.

"Given what I've been told of him, if this was a normal brigade I'd be worried that someone spiked my last meal." Casey says. Damuron coughs. The rest of the brigade laughs, since they're all in earshot now. Fedrock and Lloyd are in the stables, brushing down Eugene.

"Why do you have to brush it? His coat isn't that long." Lloyd's muttering, but still brushing down. Casey pretends to not have heard Damuron cough. Damuron sees fit to introduce Casey to the brigade.

"This is Casey Nymos."

There's a general murmuring and then someone states, "She's a Woman."

Yeager sighs. "That's our resident stater of the obvious."

"Because if we don't brush the horse down, he may get fleas. Also, he can't clean himself in certain areas."

"... huh." Lloyd keeps brushing.

"I'm guessing your captain hasn't seen fit to pick one out before." Casey mutters.

Damuron sighs again. "She's our newest transfer. And I KNOW about that initiation ritual you guys have. I'm deeming it inappropriate. Think of something else."

"..." Casey's expression flat-lines. "I'm thinking the captain has my thanks." Fedrock keeps brushing the horse. Eugene looks happy. Finas is leant against the stable door, smoking his pipe. Yeager snickers. Several of the brigade look disappointed. Others are twitching at the memory.

Damuron shrugs. "Yeager started it." Yeager looks slightly abashed, but only slightly. Casey takes a half step away from Yeager.

Lloyd sneezes again. "Finas, that smells funny. Just to let ya know."

"It's herbal." Both he and Nylen mutter at the same time.

Damuron does a quick head count. "Okay. Has everyone got everything?"

Yeager raises his eyebrows. "Have YOU got everything?"

"I thought you were getting it." Casey's sweat dropping.

"Sure, sure..." Lloyd mutters, sneezing again. Damuron dismisses the brigade with a wave of his hand after telling them what time to be up in the morning, under penalty of ice water and Yeager's singing. Yeager looks mildly upset by this. Eugene stares at Lloyd.

Lloyd stares back, then pulls out a sugar cube. "I hear you like these." Damuron wanders around to the stables to look at and count the mounts. He secretly hopes they don't have enough so someone has to run. They seem to have more than enough. Eugene walks over and noms the sugar cube in the way that horses do. With too much tongue. The horse nuzzles Lloyd.

Nylen smiles. "See? He likes ya."

"He's got an interesting way of showing it." Lloyd pulls another out. "You won't get any more if you keep dumping me." Lloyd warns before letting the horse have it.

Damuron is mobbed by horses. "Nonono not again. These apples are for ME!" and then he let the horse have it. Nylen hears the commotion, walking over and managing to get the horses back into their individual stables.

"Next time, read the sign." He points. There's a sign that says 'No Apples.'

Damuron deadpans and then bows deeply. "Yes my lord. I am sorry my lord. Apples are forbidden. I will remember that."

"Yeah. I am a lord. And this is my property." Nylen actually looks serious. Lloyd looks deeply amused while watching this.

Damuron frowns. "Don't go all serious face on me." He backs up by Lloyd.

"Then don't take the piss."(Frozen: 'Don't be a douche' in brit-speak. Aparently.) He states, walking back over to Eugene.

Lloyd blinks. "I don't get it." he shrugs. Casey has wandered, bored, toward them. Lloyd blinks at her for a minute.

Damuron rubs the back of his head. "I don't get it either. It probably means 'I can't take a joke'." he says this part more quietly. He looks over at Casey. There's a slight whimpering and whining coming from one of the stalls.

"Uh oh." Nylen mutters, stashing his pipe. He walks into the stall, picking something up. "I'm sorry, Lambert... Did we wake you?" Lloyd's attention is grabbed by Nylen and whatever it was he picked up.

"He's cute!" Lloyd manages not to squee. Casey's taken a peek, and now she has a light flush. She seems to agree.

Damuron is slightly less subtle. "That may be the cutest thing I have ever seen. If I were female, I would have squealed." he deadpans, but it also entirely serious. The puppy is sitting in Nylen's arms, blinking confusedly at everyone. Nylen pulls out a dog treat, feeding the puppy it who noms at it, unable to eat it whole.

Lloyd's watching the puppy. "I wish Noishe was that cute."

Damuron looks at it. "Is that one of the Knight Dogs?"

"Yeah. I breed attack dogs." Nylen states, tickling Lambert's belly. "And Little Lambert's gonna be a good one. He's from a good father and mother." He looks to Lloyd. "Wanna hold him?"

"Yes!" Lloyd says fervently. Casey looks a tiny bit put out. Damuron also looks slightly put out.

He sets about choosing his horse for tomorrow. "...Where are we going again?"

Nylen walks over, handing the puppy to Lloyd. "Everyone can have a turn. Just be careful. He's not used to this many people yet."

Finas says something for the first time in 10 minutes. "We're going to the Blade Drifts of Zophir."

"He's cute." Lloyd repeats, petting Lambert. Casey heads slowly over to pet Lambert too.

"Oh yes. I remember that now." He looks around, debating whether to ask his next question. "...why?" Yeager enters the stable and sighs. Lambert sniff-sniffs Lloyd, putting his paws on the twinblade's chest and licking his chin. Lloyd dies of a cuteness attack. He looks to Casey and sniffs.

"Uh. There's a battle currently on-going, and they need reinforcements." Finas states, deadpan. Casey takes Lloyd's incapacitation due to cute as a chance, and takes Lambert from him. Damuron states that he also knew that. Yeager hands him a metal folder.

"Why do you even give me these things? I know you read them first." Yeager ignores him to pet the Lampuppy with two fingers. Lambert lies back in Casey's arms, obviously enjoying the attention. Nylen is standing back, but keeping a watchful eye. Another dog nuzzles the man's hand.

"I know, Athena. They'll be careful." He pets the dog, which seems to be Lambert's mother. Damuron slips into the stall of the horse he's chosen as his own, and covertly slips him an apple. He makes sure Nylen is looking the other way.

Lloyd crouches down to offer his palm for Athena to sniff after pulling off his glove. "Hello there." Athena sniffs Lloyd's hand and then licks it a few times. Damuron's horse gives him a stare of acknowledgement. Yeager seems to be looking for a horse as well. Casey hands Lambert over to Lloyd by putting the puppy on his head, and also goes to look. Lloyd blinks. "Hi."

"Rr?" Lambert blinks, confused. Athena plucks Lambert up in her mouth, walking back into their stall.

Damuron and his horse have somehow come to a nonverbal understanding of some sort, and he exits the stall, looking satisfied. "That one's mine."

Yeager is pointing at a horse. "And that one's mine." Casey is eyeing horses. Lloyd blinks at Nylen.

"Protective." he comments.

"Yup. War dog, so try not to get on her bad side." Damuron looks around. Yeager yawns.

"Wish Noishe was awesome." Lloyd mutters.

"What's Noishe?" Casey asks, eyeing a horse.

"My dog. I haven't seen him in a while, though." The horse eyes Casey back.

Nylen walks beside her. "Need some help?"

"Don't think so. I like this one." Casey nods at the horse. Yeager looks vaguely bored, and tells them goodnight. He goes to join the brigade. Damuron stays, leaning against a wall.

"So..." Lloyd scratches the back of his head. "Am I sleeping in the barracks... or somewhere else?"

"Well. His name is Farraday. He's a good horse." Damuron is looking strangely serious, reading the documents in his metal envelope.

Finas shrugs. "I'm staying in the barracks. I have a spare bed." He offers Lloyd.

"... okay..." Lloyd scratches at the back of his head, muttering about 'Stupid Alexei' under his breath. "And I'm tired. So. Directions?" Lloyd grins at Finas. Damuron tucks the metal folder inside his uniform, and walking out, scowling slightly. He's also going to join his brigade in the barracks.

"Well, if anyone wants anything, I'll be up in the house." Nylen says, leaving also. Finas starts leading. Lloyd follows Finas, and Casey frowns at Nylen.

"Are there any other female knights?"

Damuron looks back. "There have never been any in my brigade."

"I became aware of that when someone said 'she's a woman'." Casey tells him.

"Yeah. There are a few. If you feel uncomfortable sharing with the men, the female knights have rooms in the manor."

Damuron looks at her. "Not going to sleep with the brigade? I suppose that's your own choice." He has already threatened that anyone who tries anything funny will be severely punished.

"I'm debating it." Casey crosses her arms.

Damuron throws his hands up casually. "There's no women's quarters in the field. You may as well get used to it." He ducks into the barracks and sets about looking for an open top bunk.

Nylen smiles. "Well. The choice is there. I gotta go feed the dogs before I turn in. Later." The older knight walks off.

Casey thinks, then ends up following Damuron. "If anyone tries something, they're not going to be able to have children." Lloyd just watches as he follows Finas.

Damuron smirks. "Well yes, because your honorable Captain will have impaled them through the crotch." He gives her a mini bow and jumps into a top bunk, not bothering to use the ladder. He looks back down at her seriously. "I take care of my people. Just remember that." His jumping about woke up Yeager, who is in the bottom bunk. Yeager kicks up and mutters.

Finas climbs into his own, securing the top bunk. "We have a spare bed." Finas offers.

Lloyd blinks. "I thought the spare bed was mine..." Lloyd mutters, getting on the lower bunk and shucking his boots, gloves and blades. Casey picks one a bed. Yeager mutters more and Damuron responds by throwing down his boots. He hangs his sword on the side of the bed and throws off the heavier parts of his uniform, then rolls over but doesn't close his eyes. Finas is sitting with his legs over the side as he does the same but with less vehemence. Lloyd puts his coat over his stuff, as his swords are in his boots and the gloves shoved in to keep them still, and pulls out a carving tools and a half-finished figure. Damuron creeps on Lloyd, watching him form up in his bunk. Yeager is back to sleep.

Finas throws a sock off him. "Try to get some sleep, Lloyd." He hints.

"Yeah." Lloyd mutters, tossing the sock back up. "Will." He props himself against the wall. Damuron rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling. Yeager/brigade: zzzzz

"Good." Finas flops back on his bed. Lloyd carves for a bit, before he lets said things fall out of his hands like he'd fallen asleep like that.


End file.
